


Book I: Unnatural

by The_Crystal_Rose



Series: Through the Looking Glass [1]
Category: Dragon Ball Z
Genre: Angst, Book I, Complete, Drama, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Lemon, Romance, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-19
Updated: 2017-11-29
Packaged: 2017-12-15 12:18:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 88,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/849491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Crystal_Rose/pseuds/The_Crystal_Rose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The story is set after the destruction of the Namekian planet, the defeat of Frieza, and the return of Goku. It will continue on through the three years before the android threat, showing the developing relationship between Bulma and Vegeta, and the troubles they’ll face together. Throughout the story, we’ll see how the sexual tension will build to a breaking point, causing more problems rather than creating any solutions. Unlike most stories (or any of the stories I’ve read) we’ll see the developing changes in Bulma’s pregnancy and how the two cope with becoming parents. It’ll be a dramatic roller-coaster to the very end.</p><p>[COMPLETED]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: Fed Up!

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: The story contains graphic details such as: sexual content, adult language, and violence. It is highly recommended that if you are of the ages 16 and younger that you do not read any further due to the rating of this story. This is a purely “read at your own risk” warning, and I will not be held accountable for whatever or whoever happens to fall upon this story. You have been warned fairly!

She just couldn’t believe it! Of all the things she’s done for him, not a thank you… No  _ounce_  of gratitude! Did she have to put up with this?  _No! But then again, I shouldn’t expect any type of gratitude from the Prince of Assholes!_

Bulma stomped outside, a frown upon her face as she starred at the thorn in her side. The Gravity Room. Once again, Vegeta took the gravity past its limit, and the converter blew!  _Does he not realize how much money we put into this? Kami! I should just blow it up and be done with it…_ A wicked grin spread across her face as a sudden thought drifted through her mind.  _Yeah, I should do that, and then we’ll see how he’ll fair without his precious GR! Maybe he’ll finally show ME some respect…_  Bulma sighed as she continued to stare at the GR, her shoulders slumped in defeat.  _Of course, I can’t do that… He’ll just make my life more miserable than it already is…_

Carrying her tool belt, Bulma approached the door to the GR, typed in a code, and entered, determined to be finished and leave before Vegeta came stomping back to yell some more. Setting her tools down by the control panel, she began to take apart the console to reveal the converter. Her eyes bulged at the sight. The converter was completely fried.  _This is going to need to be completely replaced! I’m going to kill him!_  Dismantling the converter, Bulma left the GR and made her way to the lab.  _I can’t do anything now but order another part…_

Dr. Briefs was at his desk when his daughter made her way into the lab. He looked up from his prints as she threw the fried converter in front of him. He raised his eyebrows curiously at the charred part, and then looked to his angry daughter.

Bulma tapped her foot repeatedly, her hand on her hips. “He completely destroyed the converter! This can’t happen anymore!”

“Bulma, dear, accidents happen…” Dr. Briefs sighed at his agitated daughter. “We’ll just order another part and replace it.”

“Order another part?  _Do you realize how much those parts cost_?” Bulma yelled angrily. “If he keeps at this, Dad, we won’t have any more parts TO order!”

Dr. Briefs laughed lightly. “Honey, I think you’re over-reacting just a little.”

Bulma threw her hands up and stomped to her desk. “Fine! I’ll order another damn part just so he can break it… AGAIN!” She sat down with a huff, picked up the phone, and ordered the required part. At this point, she  _did not_  want to see Vegeta, she just knew how things would end up if she stayed this angry and ran into him.  _Guess I’ll have to skip dinner tonight… That bastard…_

_oOo_

Vegeta stepped out of the shower and raised his ki to dry himself. He smirked as he replayed his encounter with Bulma earlier…” _Onna!” Vegeta yelled to Bulma as she passed him by in the hallway._

_Bulma stopped, turned, and placed her hands on her hips, the smile that had previously resided on her face had now been replaced with a frown. “What, Vegeta? I do have a name, you know!”_

_Vegeta crossed his arms, his legs shoulder length apart, and his stance screaming royalty with his usually scowl in place. “The GR is not working, Onna! I demand you fix it at once!”_

_Bulma’s eyes widened, then she too crossed her arms. “Hell no! I just fixed the simulator for you four days ago! What did you do to it this time?”_

_Huffing, Vegeta glared at her. “I do not need to explain myself to you, just fix the damn GR so I can return to my training!”_

_Shaking her head, Bulma stalked up to Vegeta and poked him in the chest without thinking. “I am NOT your servant, you prick! I will fix the GR when I damn well please!” She backed away, returning his glare. “And it wouldn’t kill you to ask nicely next time!”_

_Vegeta stopped listening after she poked him in his chest. Clenching his hands into fists, he took a step forward, and as he did so, Bulma began to back up until she hit the wall behind her. Just inches from her face was a very angry Sayia-jin no Ouji. With their noses barely touching, Vegeta took her wrist and held it up, squeezing lightly without hurting her, but his threat, though silent, was known._

_Bulma swallowed hard, but never looked away. Scolding herself silently for acting without thinking, she began to open her mouth to speak, but Vegeta beat her to it. “You are a very foolish little onna… Never do that again.” He dropped her wrist and backed away while keeping his eyes on her form._

_Holding her wrist to her chest, Bulma met his eyes, and instead of showing fear, her eyes, this time, were unreadable to him. Vegeta furrowed his eyebrows, then turned away to walk back to his room. Her silence, for some reason bothered him, and as he got to his door, he turned to face her only to see she was still where he left her._

_Wanting to get some sort of reaction from her, he leaned against his doorway and crossed his arms. “The GR isn’t going to fix itself, servant…”_

_Bulma’s eyes flashed to his quickly and he could almost see fire ignite in their depths. She marched his way, only to stop several feet from him. “I am not, nor will ever be your servant! You can take your precious GR and shove it!” She began to walk down the hall towards the stairs, but Vegeta’s deep voice stopped her at the top of them._

“ _My precious GR will get fixed, and if not by you, then I’ll have your father do it. At least he knows his place.”_

_She turned back to him, and her shoulders slumped slightly. “Do not bother my father for any of your stupid demands, Vegeta,” She muttered defeated and walked down the stairs to her lab._

_Vegeta watched her go with a triumphant smirk and then walked into his bedroom to finish his pushups._

His daily banter with the onna always gave him an energy boost since he no longer purged planets. Sometimes, he would seek her out just to get a rise out of her, and then leave her to drown in her anger. He never met anyone on this mud ball who had such fire in their eyes as she did.  _She reminds me of a Saiya-jin. Except she has a weak ki and no tail._

Vegeta left the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist, and he opened his dresser to grab a pair of spandex shorts… One of the only things he would wear besides his Saiya-jin armor. Dropping the towel, he slipped the shorts on and headed to the dining room where the smell of food awaited him. He took his seat at the end of the table and noticed Bulma was not present. He smirked.  _Weak female._

He glanced to his left at Bunny, who sat and smiled at him. He raised his eyebrow at her and shuddered. She was the only woman who could make him as uncomfortable as this. Vegeta turned away, and waited for another few seconds for Dr. Briefs and Bulma. After his stomach grumbled loudly, he turned to Bunny irritated. “Where in the hell are the onna and her blasted father?”

Bunny giggled and reached out to touch his arm, only to have him retract it quickly. “Oh dear, they’ll be along shortly! Just have patience, you handsome man!”

Vegeta crossed his arms and tapped two fingers against his biceps.  _No one makes the Saiya-jin no Ouji wait!_  Before he was able to make another complaint, Dr. Briefs entered the dining hall and took his seat.

“Sorry to keep you two waiting. I’m afraid Bulma won’t be having dinner with us tonight…”

Bunny waved it off. “She shouldn’t miss dinner! I’ll make her a plate and take it to her!”

Dr. Briefs nodded. “That would be nice, dear.” He glanced at Vegeta, whom had already started to eat and said cautiously, “Bulma wanted me to let you know, Vegeta, that the converter to the Gravity Room was fried.”

Vegeta grumbled and shrugged. “I told that woman to fix it.”

Dr. Briefs nodded. “And she is. However…” He trailed off almost nervously. Glancing up at Vegeta who glared in his direction, Dr. Briefs took in a large breath. “We couldn’t fix the converter. It was completely destroyed…”

“WHAT?” Vegeta stood abruptly, pushing his chair back to the point it fell backwards, his fists clenched, his ki rising. “I need that GR to train! It MUST be fixed at once!”

Dr. Briefs held his hands up. “It will take a few days to repair the damage, but we are taking care of it, Vegeta.”

Vegeta crossed his arms, his anger in control. “How long is a few days?”

“Maybe…Three days.”

“That is unacceptable! I will allow one day.” Vegeta replied with his head held high and his voice ringing with authority.

Dr. Briefs shook his head. “Bulma had to order another part for the converter and it takes two days to ship. Then she’ll need at least one more day to complete the upgrade for the GR so it doesn’t overload like it did.”

Vegeta took this information in then shook his head and stomped off towards the lab.  _Unacceptable! She’s just trying to get back at me for earlier!_ He lifted his leg and kicked in the door to the lab, his eyes searching for the head of blue hair.

Bulma jumped at the sound of the doors banging off the wall hard and turned towards the entrance. There stood an angry Vegeta. She held in a giggle at the image of steam flowing out of his ears and crossed her arms as she watched Vegeta make his way to her desk where she sat. She craned her head to look up at him, knowing full well that her father had relayed her message to him.

With as much calm as she could possibly muster and even a small smile on her face, she raised an eyebrow at Vegeta, playing innocent. “To what do I owe this unpleasant visit, Vegeta?”

Vegeta copied her stance and crossed his arms, his usual scowl in place. “It is unacceptable for the GR to not be in working order for three days, Onna!”

Bulma shook her head and leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs as she spoke. “Well, this wouldn’t have happened if a certain Saiya-jin no Ouji had listen to me. I told you to not take the GR past its limit or it could cause damage, but you did that anyway.” Smiling sweetly, she said just as calmly, “Now you have to suffer the consequence of your actions.”

“It  _will not_  take three days, Onna! I  _forbid_  it!”

Bulma narrowed her eyes at Vegeta and slowly stood, all the while keeping in mind the earlier events that had taken place, and telling herself to be careful of how she words what she needed to say. “Listen here, you asshole. Because of  _you_ , that GR is broken! Because of  _you_ , you have to wait for a new converter! Because of  _you_ , I am wasting  _my_  time rebuilding and upgrading that damn machine just so you can break it again! If you really want to reach your goal, you  _will_  listen to me, or I could blow that GR up and it will be no more training for you.”

As she said this slowly and calmly, she watched Vegeta’s expression turn from anger, to shock, to surprise, back to anger, then to speechless as she explained how she could destroy his prized possession. Taking his speechlessness as a victory, she continued. “I am fed up with how you treat us. We are not your servants. You want servants, go somewhere else. I’ll be damned if you think you can take advantage of our hospitality.” And with that, she left her lab, a smile on her face, and her head held high. Before she left, she turned back to see Vegeta still standing there completely dumbfounded, his fists clenched, starring at the space she previously occupied.

Taking in a deep breath, she walked out of her lab and towards her room for a shower.  _That felt too good!_

_oOo_

  
_Seven hundred and fifty three…_ _Seven hundred and fifty four…_  

Vegeta continually did his pushups in his room to avoid the blue headed wench. His anger had yet to resolve from their interaction in the lab. Her voice still echoed in his mind.

_I could blow that GR up and it will be no more training for you…_

As much as he wanted to, he knew he couldn’t kill the onna. The GR was the only reason he was staying in this infuriating place, and if he didn’t have that, he wouldn’t ascend.  _Damn woman…_

It had only been a day since their interaction and Vegeta was already antsy. He stood up and began to punch the air. He knew he was getting nowhere with this, but he’d rather this than waste his time sitting around not training. To him, training was his life. It was all he knew. The day you stop training is the day your dead. He scowled when he thought back to what Bunny told him…

“ _Dear, it’s alright to take a break every now and then. You’re such a dedicated young man!”_

Vegeta shuddered.  _Take a break? I am a warrior prince! We do not receive breaks!_

Dropping his arms, Vegeta grabbed his towel, wiped his face off, and placed it around his neck. He was tired of being cooped up in his room to train and decided to train outside… even though it was raining. Glancing out his window, he watched as lightning struck not too far from the house and smirked. This was something he needed. As he began to head out of his room, he bumped into a soft body and heard an “Ooof!”

Looking down, Vegeta rolled his eyes. Of course. Of all the people he bumped into, it had to be  _her_. Bulma was sprawled on her butt on the floor, frowning up at him. “Well, if it isn’t the Prince of Assholes.”

Vegeta crossed his arms and watched her spring to her feet. “Do not mock your superiors, onna.”

Bulma laughed. “My superiors? If I remember correctly, you are not even my races prince, you monkey!”

Vegeta uncrossed his arms and stepped forward, “Do not call me a monkey, you wench!”

With a smirk and a snicker, Bulma looked down at her feet and muttered, “…monkey…”

“Bitch!” Growled Vegeta.

Narrowing her eyes at him, she stuck her tongue out. “Prick!”

“Slut!”

“Douche bag!”

“Whore!”

“Bastard!”

“Ugly wench!”

Bulma gasped. “If anyone’s ugly out of the two of us, it’s you, dumbass!” Then she stomped away towards the stairs.

Vegeta watched her go, his anger only rising as he replayed what just happened, then scolded himself.  _I’ve lowered myself, the Sayia-jin no Ouji, to a name calling match with the wench! What is this mud ball doing to me?_ He shook his thoughts off and continued outside to spar in the rain.

_oOo_

The storm continued well into the night. Bulma sighed as she sat on the couch in the living room, flashes of light flowing in through the windows from the lightning. It had been a gloomy day.  _And on gloomy days, I stay up and watch my shows!_

A tub of ice cream in her lap and a blanket around her shoulders, Bulma focused intently on the television screen in front of her, the romance movie playing out before her eyes. She sighed as she watched the man propose to the woman.  _Why couldn’t Yamcha be like that?_  And with that, tears filled her eyes. It had been two weeks since she last talked to him. Two weeks since they broke up… again. Her idea of the perfect guy use to fit Yamcha, but as the days passed, that image no longer fit him. Sure, she missed him…  _But I miss how he use to be more._

_Bulma eyes glossed over as she starred at Yamcha. She knew it would come to this eventually. They always broke up. But something about this time felt different to her. She had no explanation for him. Her excuses were used up. She looked him over. His arms hung by his sides in a defeated gesture, his normally tall stature was slouched, and his usually happy scarred face was marred with a frown. She wanted to look away, but she couldn’t. She hated breaking hearts, especially his. And her silence was doing the job for her._

_Yamcha stepped forward. “You’re letting him rule your life! And you always take his shit! Why, Bulma?”_

_Bulma closed her eyes. Ever since Vegeta moved in, he was always a topic of discussion with her and Yamcha. More like a topic of arguments. She knew Yamcha hated Vegeta. She understood. And that’s what got her in trouble. She understood. “I think you’re taking this way out of proportion, Yamcha!”_

“ _I don’t think I am! You always have to do something for him! And does he EVER thank you? I don’t think I’ve ever heard him express appreciation before! If that were me, you would’ve hounded me for it!”_

_Her eyes narrowed and her fists clench. “You know what I think? That this is just some act of jealousy! I don’t understand what it is with you males!”_

_Yamcha rolled his eyes. “It’s not jealousy… Not completely, I’ll admit. I just don’t trust him! Have you forgotten that he got me KILLED?”_

_Bulma sighed. “That was so long ago and he didn’t kill you, Yamcha. It was that bald headed jerk that hung around him.”_

_Yamcha’s eyes bulged. “You’re defending him! Every time this happens, you defend him! You never side with me anymore!”_

_Shrugging and crossing her arms, Bulma looked down at the ground. “He has no one, Yamcha. How would you feel if you were all alone on an alien planet? He’s on our side for the time being… Maybe he needs someone on his?”_

_Yamcha took a step back. An awkward silence stretch between them. They starred each other down, both defeated. They had been arguing over this since the first day he showed up at her front door. Neither of them knew what to say. After a long period of silence, Yamcha turned his body slightly, and he glanced off into the distance. “So this is it… Because of him…”_

_Bulma shook her head. “No… not because of him. Because of us.” She let out a shaky breath, her eyes moist. “We just haven’t worked together for a long time…”_

_Yamcha nodded, and then whispered, “I would’ve married you…” He then turned his back and left without looking back._

_Bulma said nothing and watched him leave, tears streaking down her face._

Two weeks… He never called her and she never called him. She told herself it was necessary; they didn’t work, haven’t worked, and will never work. But it still hurt. She never told her parents about the break up and they never asked.  _They probably only assume it’s because we’re both busy people._ She glanced back up at the screen in time to see the rolling credits. She stood and replaced the DVD with a comedy instead of another romance like she normally would. She wanted to distract herself and the movies were not helping. She felt alone.

A shadow passed off to her left and she jumped with a screech, her ice cream flung off her lap to land on the floor in front of her. A dark chuckle emitted from the shadows. “Silly onna, you should be more aware of your surroundings.”

Bulma peered out of her blanket in time to see Vegeta step into the light of the television and she frowned.  _I want company and this is who I get…_  “It’s rude to sneak up on people, you know?”

Ignoring her, Vegeta glanced at the television, then to the ice cream which currently sat on the floor, to the blanket covered onna. He watched as she ignored his presence and picked up the tub of ice cream and took a bite. He folded his arms and continued to stare.

Bulma glanced up at him, the spoon currently sticking out of her mouth, and she pulled it out slowly, savoring the taste. She smiled. “Ever had ice cream before? It’s good!”

Not answering, Vegeta glanced at the television and then back at her. Irritated with his silent presence, Bulma patted the seat next to her. “If you’re just going to stand there and gawk at me, you might as well join me.”

Gritting his teeth together, Vegeta walked to the couch and sat at the opposite end his eyes on the box in front of him. Of the short time he had been there, he never once tried to watch TV, nor had it seen it on. His curiosity peaked as he watched scenes replay over and over above a menu of option. “Onna, what are you watching?”

Bulma smiled as she held the remote in her hand. She had yet to hit play and now she second guess whether she should watch this movie or ask her new companion if he had a choice. She decided to be nice. “Well, I was going to watch a funny movie. But, since you’re here, I could always put in another movie, since I doubt comedy is something you’d like.”

Vegeta only grunted and Bulma took this as agreement. She decided, though she hated the genre, that Vegeta would probably only like horror and action movies, so she picked her top three that she could only remotely stand. She turned to him and held them out to him to pick. Vegeta glanced up at her suspiciously, before taking the offered cases and glancing over each one, then looking back at Bulma, a question in his eyes.

Bulma blinked.  _He probably doesn’t know what he’s holding, you idiot!_ Taking the cases from him she opened one of them up to show him the shiny disc held inside. “They’re DVD’s. Movies, in other words. I picked three out I thought you might like, and you can pick which one you want to watch.”

Again, Vegeta grunted and folded his arms. Bulma rolled her eyes. “They’re all horror movies. I personally don’t like horror, but sometimes I can stand them…” After she finished, she held out the choices to him. She hated gory movies. She was squeamish and hated the sight of blood, fake or not, and the movies always made it look real enough.

As if reading her mind, Vegeta smirked, and pointed to the third case. She sighed and sat the other two cases down, then replaced the movie in the DVD player with the new one. She sat on the opposite end of the couch with the blanket across her lap and hit the play button.  _I would’ve never predicted this happening in a million years… but here we are…_ She glanced down at his tense form and frowned.  _I guess it could be worse._  She turned her attention back to the screen and winced at the gory scene before her.

Vegeta, on the other hand, didn’t mind horror. After growing up under Frieza, and purging planet after planet, horror was nothing to him. He shifted his eyes towards the onna, then back to the television set, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.  _I don’t know why I’m humoring her…_ As the gory scene played out, his mood shiftedand his curiosity peaked. Maybe staying and watching the movie would be harmless after all.

Throughout the movie, Vegeta would chuckle at certain scenes, or mutter  _pathetic_  or  _weak earthlings_  while Bulma would cringe and hide under her blanket. At this point, she would rather be pathetic than watch blood spurt across the flood. It made her queasy. Vegeta, noting her silence, looked down at the onna to see her hiding beneath her blanket and he shook his head. “Can’t take a little blood, onna?” He said mockingly.

Bulma peered out of her blanket and glared at him. “I’m not like you, Vegeta! I’m not use to all that blood!”

Vegeta chuckled. “You do realize its fake…” Then he muttered “…pathetic…”

Bulma narrowed her eyes and removed the blanket, determined to watch the rest of the movie without her protective shield. After watching another person get chopped up and the blood spurt everywhere, Bulma gave up and hid under her blanket. “I don’t care! Call me pathetic, weak, whatever! This is disgusting!”

Vegeta sighed. “For a woman with so much talk, you sure are  _weak_ …”

Bulma muttered something under her breath, but said nothing back and waited for the credits to roll. After the movie was done, she came out of her hiding spot and turned the DVD player off. “Stupid movie…”

Glancing down at her condescendingly, Vegeta shook his head. “You are one pathetic wench…” With that, he got up and marched towards his bedroom, leaving Bulma to stare after him.

She clenched her teeth together. “That asshole! Just because I’m not use to blood like he is, he has to be a prick! I’m sick of it!” Standing, Bulma began to clean her mess and head to bed.  _He should know better than to mess with the one person who knows how to fix that stupid gravity room!_ She paused by his bedroom door and narrowed her eyes.  _We’ll see how things play out when I get that converter…_

_oOo_

_...TBC..._


	2. Chapter One: And so it begins...

With the company's word, the converter arrived in two days. Bulma opened the package and placed the part upon her desk and sat down with a huff. She had twenty-four more hours to complete the upgrade and replace the converter before  _his majesty_  threw another temper tantrum. Setting the converter aside, she placed her notebook in front of her and began to write down a series of equations for the new upgrade. Four cups of coffee and three shots of espresso later, Bulma had only finished a quarter of the equations for the upgrade and were stumped on the rest.

After working for hours and only getting a quarter of the way done, Bulma took a break. She stood and glared down at the offending notebook.  _If he had only just listened to me, I wouldn't have to stay up and do this…_ Gritting her teeth together, she added mentally,  _and he'd be able to train… We wouldn't be in each other's hair all the damn time!_

After the movie, Bulma tried her best to avoid Vegeta, but it seemed as though he sought her out just to annoy her. She'd be in her room and cringed when she'd hear " _Onna!"_ from the other end of the house. Most of the time he called for her, it was to demand food, but others times, though Vegeta refused to admit it, it was to get a rise out of her.

Bulma tried to come up with the best way to avoid Vegeta for the day and didn't want to spend it in her lab. She glanced over the equations quickly and decided she would have her father help her with the rest later. She left her lab and peered around every corner, determined to avoid Vegeta at all costs. Passing the window, her eyes landed on her hover jet that she forgot to encapsulate, and she smiled.  _I know what to do! Now I just need to ninja my way out of here…_

After peering around every corning, Bulma finally made it to the front door. In her line of sight was the craft.  _I just have to make it to the hover jet, start it up, and get out of here without Vegeta catching me…_  Without a second thought, Bulma made a dash for the vehicle, keys in hand. She hadn't been out of the house in over two months; the last time being a date with Yamcha to  _his_  favorite restaurant, though he insisted it was her favorite also.

Making it to the hover jet without anyone noticing, Bulma climbed in and started it up as fast as possible. She pulled the handles back, causing the craft to hover above the ground and as she began to fly away, she saw Vegeta step out of the compound. She blew out a breath as she flew away, hoping he wouldn't fly after her. Several minutes went by and she turned her head to look back, noting that he hadn't came after her.

_Good._

_oOo_

Vegeta noticed the jet take off and knew Bulma was up to something, but decided it was something he'd rather find out later than disrupt his training over. He wanted to train outside instead of his room for a change of scenery. He threw the towel that was wrapped around his neck to the ground and began to power up, then lifted off the ground to strengthen his reflexes. After training for an hour, he was interrupted by the growling of his stomach. He scowled at it.

Wrapping the white towel around his neck again, he walked inside the giant domed compound, his stomach grumbling for nourishment. The house was unusually quiet, the kitchen was empty, and as Vegeta searched for the wench's mother's ki, he found none.

_Damn._

He knew nothing about cooking, only the knowledge of watching, but not taking much in. He became use to the blonde wench waiting on him. Now, he had to fend for himself and that in and of itself was a nuisance to him. Opening the door to the freezer, Vegeta quickly found that thing the onna had been eating during the movie. He grabbed the cold tub and slammed the door shut to the freezer, then found a spoon and his thoughts drifted back to when she slowly pulled it out of her mouth. Chasing the thought away with a frown, Vegeta sat at the table and dug in, surprised at the sweet and cold taste of his meal.

Shoveling through what was left of his cold treat; Vegeta tossed the tub into the trash and headed back outside to resume his training, the entire time keeping Bulma's odd behavior in mind.

_oOo_

A half an hour came and went, and Bulma's destination was in sight—The Son's House. She decided after a long day of upgrading, she'd visit her one best friend for a surprise. Landing the craft near the house, she hopped out and headed to the door, then knocked, and waited patiently. Several minutes went by and no one answered, and after she knocked and waited again, she finally decided to give up and leave.

With her shoulders slumped, she made her way back to the craft, until she heard a thud, then a masculine groan off to the side near the creek. Turning, she found Gohan on his back on the ground, and watched as he climbed to his fight and begin to power up. She called out to him, and he stopped, and glanced her way, surprised.

"Bulma… Hey… What are you doing here?" He asked, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

Bulma smiled and shrugged. "Just thought I'd get away from the compound for a little bit…" She trailed off and looked around. "I was actually hoping to catch your parents…"

Gohan's brows lifted. "Well, my mom isn't here and my dad is on the other side of the lake with Mr. Piccolo, sparring…" He looked down at the ground and murmured, "Dad thought it would be good for me to train since mom went out."

Bulma chuckled. "You're mom just worries about you." She glanced across the yard towards the body of water, and sure enough, on the other side in the air were Piccolo and Goku, sparring away. "I can just come back later. I don't want to intrude…" She trailed off, unsure.

Gohan shook his head and smiled. "I'll go get him for you. Dad isn't like Vegeta when it comes to training," he laughed, then flew off in his father's direction quickly, leaving behind a red faced Bulma.

She crossed her arms and waited for a few minutes. Finally, she saw Goku begin to head her way while Gohan sparred with Piccolo. He landed in front of her and smiled his signature goofy smile. "Hey, Bulma!"

Smirking, Bulma held her arms out for a hug, and Goku obliged. "Hi, Goku. How are you?"

Stepping away from her arms he answered, "Good. Training Gohan when I can…" He looked her up and down, and then observed her tired face with a hint of concern. "Are you okay, B?"

"Yeah, just fixing the gravity simulator almost every day for his royal pain in the ass," she sneered. She looked back at Gohan and Piccolo, and then glanced at Goku. "I hope I'm not interrupting."

Goku shook his head and laughed. "It's just training," he shrugged. Bulma sighed and became silent, glancing off towards the wooded area that surrounded the Son residence. Noting her silence, Goku placed a hand upon her shoulder. "If there's something bothering you, you can tell me, B."

Biting her lip, Bulma turned her head back to him and nodded. "I just wanted to get out of the compound for a little while. Vegeta's been driving me insane…" Trailing off, Bulma crossed her arms and glared at the ground, gritting her teeth. "It's not like I'm his damn servant or anything! I practically wait on him hand and foot when it comes to the simulator, and every other day, he breaks it!" She let out an exasperated breath. "I don't receive any type of gratitude, not that I should expect it… It would be nice, though, to at least be acknowledged for my work, in some way…"

Goku nodded throughout all of this and when she trailed off towards the end, he cut in. "You know how Vegeta is, B. It takes time and patience to deal with him."

Bulma shook her head. "Time and patience isn't something I have right now."

Grasping her shoulders, Goku shook her lightly. "You need to find it, then. No one is saying wait on him. You're right, you're not his servant. But think of it this way. He's helping us with the androids and he needs help to get to where we all need him to be so we can survi—"

Bulma took a step back and cut him off. "I know, I know. We need to survive the android's attack, he's helping us, blah blah blah. I don't mean to be an antagonist, but there's only so much someone can take… And I'm coming to my limit."

Goku slumped his shoulders and thought carefully what he could say.  _They need to get together for the sake of Trunk's future!_ "I understand how you feel, B. Vegeta is different." Before Bulma was able to interrupt him, he held up his hand to stop her. "I'm not defending him, I'm just trying to make you see a different side to him. The smallest head nod from Vegeta is the best acknowledgement you'll get from him. My advice…" He trailed off and waited to see if Bulma was willing to listen. After she turned her head up when he trailed off, he continued. "My advice is to pay close attention to him. I bet you're working so hard and so fast that you're not even giving him the time of day when you're showing him your work…"

Bulma nodded slowly. "I do have a habit of trying to get out of his presences somewhat fast…"

Giving her shoulder a light squeeze of encouragement, Goku smiled. "Just be patient with him." Then he snickered. "In a funny way, he's like you when it comes to his temper," then laughed when Bulma's face went red as she gasped.

"There is no way in hell I am anything like that bastard!" Shaking off some of her anger, she plastered a small smile on her face as she glanced up at Goku. "I appreciate you letting me rant off…"

Goku waved it off. He turned back to his son just in time to see Piccolo be pummeled to the ground, and he busted out laughing. "How about we go back and watch Gohan beat Piccolo?"

Chuckling, Bulma accepted and they walked towards the two sparring together.

_oOo_

It was late lunch when Bulma made it back to the compound. She encapsulated the hover jet and made her way to her lab. She quickened her pace to avoid an interaction with Vegeta as she walked throughout the compound and finally made it to her private lab. Grabbing the notebook full of equations, she went in search of her father.

She came upon his office on the opposite side of the compound and respectively knocked on the door. Shortly after she knocked, thuds and bumps were heard from within the office. "Dad, are you alright?"

"Just a second, dear." More thuds and bumps were heard, as well as muttered curses.

Finally, the door opened to reveal a much disheveled looking Dr. Briefs. He smiled warmly at his daughter and motioned her inside. She walked to his desk and sat the notebook down on top of a pile of messy papers. She glanced around his office and shook her head. Books and sheets of paper were scattered everywhere. She knew his office was only like this when he was amidst of a big project. It was how he worked. He wasn't as organized as she.

Dr. Briefs took his seat and picked up the notebook, flipping page from page, reading each equation. He didn't have to ask to know why she came to his office. She was silently asking for his help. Grabbing a pen, he began to take notes. Bulma smiled and pulled up a chair, a pen in hand as well, and she watched as her father took what necessary notes were needed, and wrote his own separate equations down on another piece of paper.

It only took a few hours to finish the set of equations, after correcting a few mistakes. Thanking him, she took the notebook back to her private lab and began to type the set of equations into the computer. Throughout all of this, she was surprised to notice Vegeta hadn't once come to find her. Once she was finished programming the set of equations in the system, she downloaded the program to a small microchip disc, then grabbed the converter, the disc, and her tool belt, she made her way to the GR.

Outside of the simulator, she took a few breaths, and then typed in the code to open the door. Vegeta wasn't anywhere to be seen…  _yet…_ She thought. She sat her items next to the control panel and proceeded to take apart the console to replace the converter. Once that was done, she slipped the small disc in to download the new upgrade. Once that was done, she sighed.  _Just one more thing to do…_

As she made her way into the compound, she took heed of Goku's advice. She came upon her destination and slowly raised her hand to knock on the door. After a few short knocks, the door was swung open harshly by Vegeta. "What now, onna?"

Bulma crossed her arms. "I'm finished with your upgrades." As she said this, she made sure to pay close attention to his reaction. When she saw nothing but an unreadable stare, she added, "The converter's been replaced as well. I modified the upgrade so that if the GR were to overload, it would just shut down instead to prevent any damage…"

After a few second of silence and Bulma nearly giving up on Goku's advice, she finally saw it. A small smirk. That's it. It was there, then it was gone, and if you blinked, you wouldn't have seen it. Her heart swelled, but she pushed her feelings aside and stayed as neutral as possible. Vegeta said nothing when he left his room and made his way to the GR. She stepped off and watched him descend the stairs, and then she turned and walked into her room. Sitting upon her bed, she lay back and starred at the ceiling.

_Nothing can damper my mood right now._

_oOo_

Days went by and things between Vegeta and Bulma went back to normal, as normal as could be.

Whenever Vegeta demanded something from her, she would retort in her usual tone, and their regular banter would ensue. Whenever she finished his demands, she would pay close attention to his reactions and most of the time, she'd come back pleased with herself. Most of the time he demanded anything from her, it was to repair the battle bots.

He never said anything about the upgrade.

On her one day off, Bulma entered the kitchen to make a light lunch for herself. Today, she planned to relax.

_No work, no equations… And I'm definitely not doing anything for his royal pain in the ass!_

She finished making her sandwich and sat down at the table to eat. Before she was able to take her first bite, a hand reached out and grabbed hold of the delicious morsel and whisked it away. She blinked, surprised, then an angry fire filled her eyes as she turned to find Vegeta walking away with her meal. Bulma let out a screech as she made chase and blocked Vegeta from leaving the compound.

"What do you think you're doing, you jerk!" she nearly screamed.

Vegeta winced at her screeching voice, and then a sly smirk appeared on his features before taking the sandwich he held and slowly took a bite from it. He watch as her eyes widened and then narrowed. "I'm just enjoying my meal," he said smugly as he took another slow bite, enjoying her agitated state almost too much.

Bulma watched fuming as he ate  _her_ sandwich in only three bites and before she could muster up a comeback for him, he grabbed a hold of her arms and gently moved her aside before making his way into the GR. She stood in place, shocked and angry.  _What the hell just happened?_ She glared at the simulator before letting out an aggravated scoff. Bulma walked back into the kitchen to make another sandwich, muttering a few choice curses for the dear Saiya-jin no Ouji along the way.

She took her sandwich and ate it in her lab, away from the annoying Saiya-jin. As she ate it, she pulled out a sketchbook and began to sketch ideas for her new project. Though she was still fuming over what had just happened, she put her feelings aside as she worked. After she discovered a way to read Vegeta's acknowledgment for her work, she wanted to do something else for him just to see it again.

It became an obsession of hers.

For whatever reason, though she couldn't explain it, his silent gratitude meant a lot to her, and it gave her a warm feeling. Her behavior did not go unnoticed. Her mother on multiple occasions made comments about their "developing relationship," if that's what it could be called. To her, they still acted normal, but Bunny was able to see a difference in Bulma.

It annoyed Bulma to no end.

She began to hole herself up in her private lab, sketching her ideas, and whenever a meal was cooked, she would endure her mother's blabbering. Until her mother began to talk about Bulma and Vegeta's relationship, making Vegeta spit his food out, red faced, and yell about how they had no relationship to speak of, before leaving the dinner table to train. Bunny just laughed it off, calling him a "sweet dedicated boy", whereas Bulma's reaction was completely different. Her face was a deep red, hidden behind her hand. She didn't know what to say, but since then, she ate in her lab for the last several days.

Bulma set aside the notebook and sighed. She pushed her plate of her half eaten sandwich away and folded her arms. She leaned back in her chair to rest her feet atop her desk and looked up at the ceiling of her lab. She would never admit it to her mother, but she agreed with Bunny. Bulma had changed. She couldn't explain why and in a way she was afraid to know why, but she knew she was beginning to become attached to the Saiya-jin no Ouji. Ever since she saw him smirk at her without any hint of malice, her heart would skip a beat in his presence.

So, she kept it to herself, and tried to find logical explanations for her actions. She was a scientist after all, and finding answers to a puzzle always captured her interest.

_oOo_

… _TBC…_  



	3. Chapter Two: You know nothing!

Her odd behavior kept her up at night. She hated not having the answers to a problem. She was a scientist and it was her job to solve the toughest problems, but this one left her stumped. Bulma twirled a pencil in her hand, her other propped up on her desk, holding her head. She let out a breath.

It had been three weeks since the sandwich stealing incident, three weeks since her mother was able to force half of the occupants from the dinner table because of her comment, three weeks since she decided to trap herself in her lab. She was too embarrassed.

Eyeing her new project, she let out another breath. Bulma wanted to remodel Vegeta's Saiya-jin armor, but getting the proper materials was going to be a doozy… However, it wasn't going to be as hard as retrieving the actual armor itself. She thought about asking for it, but she knew Vegeta. He'd become suspicious and ask too many questions, or just denying her completely. It was to be a surprise and she didn't want to spoil it.

Her other option was to sneak into his room and steal it, but if he caught her, she knew he'd be furious and possibly lose what little trust he even had in her. Bulma hit her head on her desk and muttered "This is impossible…"

She knew what she was going to do, but the thought of doing it made her stomach flutter. This project was risky, but it was something she wanted to do. Wanting to see his reaction again was making her do risky things and though she was always like that, this was different. When it came to Vegeta, she took a step back and tiptoed carefully around him, which was completely unlike her. She knew he could be unpredictable and she didn't want to push him the wrong way. Especially when it came to his armor.

Bulma had finished her sketch a week ago and had been contemplating on her course of action. She thought about asking her father for help, but he was too busy.

Then she smiled wickedly.

She knew how to get the armor without Vegeta knowing and all she needed was to recruit one person who could make it possible.

Bunny.

 

_oOo_

The following day, Vegeta was in his GR training against the battle bots. He had a gut wrenching feeling come over him, like something wasn't right. He ignored it and continued to train, figuring that the blue-haired wench was up to something again and it wasn't worth his time at the moment. He turned to the console and cranked up the gravity some more by 50g's, the pressure of the total 350g's weighing down on his body.

After adjusting to the amount of gravity weighing him down, he levitated off the ground a few inches at a time, and then began to dodge the blasts of each battle bot. After a few hours of training, he was becoming frustrated and thus, easily destroying each battle bot simultaneously. He planted his feet on the ground and frowned at the offending junks of metal. Something had to be done about this.

Vegeta powered down the GR and gathered each bot in his arms and left, intending to find either scientist to demand for upgrades of his battle bots. As he past the kitchen, he could faintly make out whispers. His brow furrowed as he stopped and glanced around the corner, peering into the kitchen.

There stood Bulma and Bunny, both leaning towards each other, whispering quietly, a serious face on Bulma's, and a giddy face on Bunny's. Bulma's back was to him, and Bunny was facing him, but her head was turned away as Bulma continued to whisper  _something_  in her ear. He narrowed his eyes.  _They're plotting something…_ He was only able to make out the words  _surprise_ ,  _remodel,_  and  _tonight._

Something about the way they were leaning into each other, whispering so intently, put Vegeta on edge.

Before he was able to turn away, Bunny's head lifted up and she spotted his shadow moving away from the door, and she placed her hand over Bulma's mouth to silence her. She shook her head at Bulma and pointed to the door, then put a finger over her lips in an indication to be quiet. She mouthed, " _Vegeta's out there…"_ and Bulma nodded.

Vegeta moved away from the door, pondering on whether he should interrupt, or find Dr. Briefs. His curiosity was getting the better of him and he scolded himself mentally. He turned, preparing to leave, but the whispering began again and he decided to go with his first thought. He turned back to the kitchen and waltzed in, battle bots in his arms and he sat them on the floor. Both Bunny and Bulma immediately stopped talking upon his entrance and simply stared at him.

Bulma sighed and Bunny giggled. She squeezed Bulma's shoulder, giving her a soft smile and a nod before leaving the kitchen. Bulma turned back to Vegeta and crossed her arms.

"So, first you destroyed the GR, and then I fix that… Now that the GR is nearly impossible to overload, you have to break my bots!" She exclaimed with a frown.  _More work for me… Kami damn it!_

Vegeta smirked smugly and shrugged. "Best get to work then. The faster you start, the faster I'm out of your hair." And then he began to walk out of the kitchen.

Bulma glanced down at the hunk of metal on her kitchen floor, then to his retreating back. She stepped over the broken bots and grabbed his arm, stopping him from leaving. "Wait a second, bud! You don't think I can carry these bots by myself to my lab, do you? They weigh entirely too much!" She pointed to the bots. "I need you to carry them for me."

Vegeta frowned. "Do not tell me what to do; I am not some lowly peasant servant. Do it yourself!"

Bulma growled. "If you don't carry those bots to my lab, they will never get done, and then what will you have to train with?"

Vegeta just simply stared at her and she stared back, neither willing to lose this battle.

Relinquishing her from his stare, he gathered the bots, telling himself he was only doing it for the sake of his training, not because she demanded it, and made his way to her lab. Watching him leave, Bulma smiled victoriously, and followed after him.

Once in her lab, she pointed to where he could set the bots down, and then watched him turn to leave without saying a word. She bit her lip as she eyed the broken bots on her floor. She knew it would take her hours to finish this and she wanted to start on her surprise for him right away, so she had to do the only thing she could think of; multi-task.

Bulma sighed. The plan had to be put in motion  _tonight._

Before she began to work on the bots, she sought out her mother once again. Feeling confident Vegeta returned to the simulator, Bulma headed straight for her mother's room. Upon reaching her destination, Bulma knocked. She knew better than to enter her parents' bedroom since she was a child, when she accidently bounced in without permission, only to be traumatized and run screaming from the room.  _I will never get over that image…_ She thought with a shudder.

She waited a few seconds till her mother said it was safe to come in. Bulma locked the door for safety measures, and sat on the king sized bed. She eyed her mother seriously, who only smiled cheerfully back.

"Are you sure you can do this?" She asked skeptically. She knew how her mother was, and planning a surprise was not her strong suit.

Bunny nodded and clapped excitedly. "Of course, dear! All I have to do is keep him distracted long enough till you can get his armor." She paused and giggled. "I think what you're doing is so sweet of you! You two make the perfect couple!"

Bulma turned red. "Mother! We're  _not_  together!"

Her mother just waved off Bulma's reaction with a smile. "Well, maybe not now, but with the way things are going between you two, I wouldn't be surprised if I have a grandchild or two in the near future!"

Bulma raised her hands up to stop her mother from talking. Her face couldn't get anymore red. With the talk of kids, Bulma covered her face and counted to ten. In her mind, nothing had progressed between her and Vegeta except her little secret obsession. She wasn't sure whether she wanted things to progress. She was still slightly hurting from her breakup with Yamcha.

Shaking off her thoughts, Bulma changed the subject back to her surprise.

 

_oOo_

It was nearing late lunch when Vegeta heard a knocking on the gravity simulator's door. Growling, he powered down the simulator, wrapped a white towel around his sweating neck, and flung the door open, scowl firmly in place. There, Bunny stood smiling cheerfully and a tray of food next to her.

Vegeta arched a curious brow to the scene before him. Normally, lunch was inside. Now, with Bunny standing in front of him with a tray full of food to feed a small army, his suspicions rose.

Bunny pushed the tray closer to the door. "I thought you might be hungry, dear!"

Crossing his arms, Vegeta stepped aside, allowing her to push the tray full of food into the room. "What happened to lunch being served inside?" He asked gruffly.

Bunny giggled. "Well, dear, you're the only one whose going to be eating lunch today." She uncovered each container and the smell of the food wafted towards Vegeta's nose, causing him to turn his head in appreciation. "I thought you might like to eat in here today, that way you're training won't be interrupted." She said simply and slyly.

With the smell of the food, Vegeta tuned Bunny out and began to pile each delicious morsel onto a plate. He waved her off with a grunt and Bunny left, smiling all the way. For good measure, she passed Bulma's lab, peeked her head in, and winked at her, before leaving for the kitchen.

Knowing the coast was clear, Bulma made a mad dash for Vegeta's bedroom, all the while consistently looking over her shoulder. She went through his closet till she found her prize and held it close to her chest. Taking a deep breath, she made her way back to her lab, and opened an armoire to stash the armor in. Once the first step of the plan was completed, Bulma began to work on the battle bots.

 

_oOo_

A day passed by and the upgrades for the battle bots were finished. Bulma stood and smiled proudly at her work. She made them faster, more durable of his ki blasts, and even tweaked with the programming she had previously set so it would be more challenging for Vegeta to destroy. She hoped… no… she expected for these bots to last longer than a few days.

Instead of heading to the GR, Bulma headed to a control panel she had set in her lab and typed in a code. A screen popped up, showing the inside of the GR, where she saw Vegeta levitating off the ground in a meditative state.

She smirked.  _Paybacks gonna be a bitch…_ She thought wickedly.

After watching him for a few minutes, she got bored, crossed her arms, and screeched, "Hey Vegeta!" through the screen. She busted out laughing when she saw him fall out of his meditative state and onto the floor because of her interruption.

Vegeta turned around and glared at the screen. "How dare you interrupt my training, onna!"

Bulma rolled her eyes. "Oh, stuff it, Veggie." She giggled inwardly at his gasp of her new nickname of him. Before he could say anything she quickly said, "I finished the upgrades for your bots! Come and get them!" And with that, she turned the screen off and sat at her desk.

It only took a matter of seconds till she heard the loud sound of stomps coming from the hallway, then the doors to her lab flew open from the ferocious kick Vegeta gave them. She could tell he was angry, but she didn't care. She wanted the bots out so she could finish with her  _more important_ project.

Vegeta stomped up to her desk and slapped his hands down, glaring at her fiercely. "Do you have a death wish, onna?"

Bulma smirked and shook her head. "Of course not, Veggie!"

"Stop with that  _ridiculous_ name!"

Ignoring him, Bulma turned to the bots. "I upgraded them, so there faster, sleeker, and more durable for your ki blasts." She got up and circled them, then glanced at him. "Try them out and then tell me what you think."

Crossing his arms, Vegeta narrowed his eyes as he observed the new bots. He nodded. "Bring them to the GR."

Bulma scoffed. "Who do you think I am—superman? You take them!" When Vegeta began to retort, she cut him off. "Yeah yeah, you're the Saiya-jin no Ouji, not a servant, blah blah blah. Need I remind you that I can't carry these, they way over a good ton! So, either you carry them or you don't get your training equipment." She ranted with her hands on her hips.

She began to tap her foot at Vegeta's silence and was about to rant again until he bent down, picked up each bot, and left. Her shoulders slumped. She was not happy. After she went through all the work for her bots, she was anxious to catch his reaction and this time, she saw none.

Bulma stomped her foot in anger. She turned back to her desk and pulled out the blue prints to his new armor, looking over the details.  _I better get my reaction for this!_

She took the armor out of the armoire and sat it upon a metal table with a light over it. Walking to the lab doors, she set the locks, then turned a counter that contained various label on each drawer. Opening one of the drawers, she pulled out a pair of goggles, gloves, and the required tools she needed. She put the gloves and goggles on, tied her hair back, and pulled a stool forward to sit on.

Bulma examined the armor carefully under the light. She called out to her voice-activated computer and began to take notes of the curves, dips, and the weight of the armor. She then pulled out a measuring tape and measured it, noting that as well. After a half hour of examining the armor itself, she pulled out a hand scraper and began to take samples of the material.

Setting her samples aside, she turned the light off and placed the armor in the armoire, locking it away.

Phase two of her plan was now in motion.

 

_oOo_

Bulma worked throughout the day till it was nearing midnight. She had observed the samples to discover that the materials the armor was made from were not found on Earth. After locking away all of her samples and materials, Bulma locked up her lab and headed to her bedroom. She was exhausted and needed a good night's sleep.

She passed Vegeta's room and paused. The door was closed, indicating he was already in there and probably asleep. Her stomach turned and fluttered with a guilty feeling. She wasn't sure how he'd react to her taking his precious armor, but it was risk she had to take.

Continuing on to her bedroom, Bulma tried to brush off her guilty conscience. She changed into her pajamas, which consisted of a white tank and baby blue cotton shorts. Turning to her bed, she flopped down on it tiredly, and then surrounded herself in her comforter. She laid there and stared at the ceiling. As tired as she was, her conscious would not let her sleep.

She sighed dejectedly.

Working on this project made her want to know more about Vegeta, but to approach him about his past was like committing the ultimate crime.  _Yeah, the ultimate crime on top of suicide…_ She stopped her thoughts.  _Why am I so interested in him all of a sudden…? What's wrong with me!_

Bulma turned onto her side, her hands instantly going underneath her head for support.  _I am NOT attracted to that homicidal idiot!_ She frowned as she continued to ponder. _Maybe working on this project isn't such a good idea… It's starting to mess with my head!_  She then rolled onto her stomach and rested her head on her hands.  _No, I'm only feeling this way because I'm tired… Yeah, that's it!_

Deciding to blame her exhaustion, Bulma pushed her thoughts to the furthest part of her mind and closed her eyes, determined to fall asleep.

_oOo_

He knew something was up. It didn't take a genius to figure that out. He noticed how Bulma missed the meals with her family and how she locked herself in her lab for hours upon hours. She was hiding something from him and he was determined to find out what.

Vegeta continued his one-handed pushups under 350g's, but his thoughts weren't on training, they were on Bulma's odd behavior once again. His suspicions were raised when she finished the bots as quickly as she did, and now that she wasn't leaving her lab at all, he knew she was up to no good.

He trained until lunch and met with the rest of the family in the dining room. Everyone was seated, but again, Bulma was missing. He crossed his arms and furrowed his brows.

This was the third day in a row she hadn't made an appearance.

Vegeta glanced at Bunny, and then Dr. Briefs, but neither took note of Bulma's lack of attendance. Finally, his curiosity got the better of him. "Where's the onna?" He asked as he began to pile food onto his plate.

Bunny was quick to respond. "She's been busy, dear—she's in her lab right now."

Vegeta scoffed. Busy? Yeah…  _Busy planning something behind my back._

Once he was finished with his lunch, he sought out her lab, only to find the doors locked. This raised red flags. He banged on the doors severely and yelled out, "Onna!" only to get a quick "just a second!", which was muffled by the thick doors.

He stood there and continued to pound on the doors impatiently. He pounded for a good minute, then yelled out, "I'm going to bang these doors down if you don't let me i—"

He was cut off when the lock was turned and the doors were opened to reveal a heavy breathing Bulma. Vegeta eyed her up and down, then glanced behind her, only to see a very clean lab. He glanced back to her and asked, "What are you up to?"

Bulma's eyes rose. "Up to? What do you mean?" she asked innocently.

Vegeta rolled his eyes and folded his arms. "Don't play dumb with me, onna! I know you're up to something! Now I demand to know what it is!"

Bulma laughed. "What makes you think I'm up to something?"

Vegeta shoved past her and waltz around her lab in search of whatever she was hiding. "You've been locked in here for days, you haven't made an appearance for meals, what am I suppose to think?"

She stood in the center of the room now and when he said this, she smirked and placed her hands on her hips. "Awe, don't tell me you miss me…"

His head whipped in her direction, a slight blush covering his cheeks. "Don't be ridiculous, onna!"

Smiling smugly, she said, "Then tell me why you've taken note to my  _absence_ … dear prince…?" she added the last part with a slight seductive purr. She watched in amusement as Vegeta turned red.

He scoffed and looked away, muttering under his breath in an entirely different language.

Knowing she had to get him out of her lab, Bulma approached Vegeta, adding a sway to her hips. She placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled seductively. "Why don't you admit that you missed me?" She asked as she leaned in towards him.

Vegeta blinked and stood still with shock at her advances. He didn't know how to react. Was the onna  _really_ coming onto  _him?_

Finally coming to his senses, he shrugged her hand off his shoulder and backed away. If it were any other time and place, he would welcome her advances, since he hadn't been with a woman in so long, but this was different. The fact that she was hiding something from him overpowered his lust, and his anger was overpowering all feelings.

Finally deciding he was wasting his time he began to leave, only to call over his shoulder in a dark manner, "I will find out eventually, onna…" Leaving Bulma with chills.

She watched him leave and let out a long breath. Being so close to him made her dizzy and her actions backfired. Though she succeeded in making him leave, a part of her also wanted him to take her with abandon. She was semi-disappointed to see him leave, but she knew that if he didn't, he'd eventually find his armor, and her plans would go down the drain.

Sighing, she locked the door after he left and went back to work. At this rate, she was going to have to be more careful with how she spent her time working on the armor. Her behavior was giving her away and she didn't even realize it! She sat at the metal table and drummed her fingers.

Bulma feared that Vegeta would eventually return to her lab and discover what she's been working on. She wanted to prevent that. She pushed away from the metal table and left in search of her father. He had security cameras and the proper system to go along with the cameras. She wanted her own system.

She wanted them installed… tonight.

 

_oOo_

Upon her request, her father installed the security system that night. Now, she had several cameras up and running, three in the hallway, and five in her lab, one specifically pointed towards the armoire. Along with the cameras, she had her own key system installed that automatically locked the doors. On one wall, near her desk, she had a new screen system, specifically for her new security system so she could keep an eye on whoever visited her… especially a specific someone.

On top of her new system, she created a handheld set that she carried with her, so that whenever she was away, she could check up on her lab when necessary.

To call her paranoid would be an understatement.

Satisfied that she now had her own system, Bulma locked her lab down and met her family for dinner. After Vegeta's visit earlier, she knew she had to at the very least make an appearance to meals.

She smiled as she sat down across from her mother, but frowned when she saw that there wasn't a plate set in front of her.

Bunny blinked. "Oh honey! I didn't expect you tonight! I'll get you a plate…"

Bulma thanked her mother, and took note of Vegeta's absence. Her heart fluttered. She pulled out her handheld and flipped through each camera. Nothing was out of the ordinary. Sighing with relief, she placed the handheld back in her pocket and waited for her father to arrive.

When Vegeta took his seat, his eyes shifted over to Bulma. After their little incident in the lab, he couldn't stop thinking about what would've happened if he hadn't refused her. He knew the tension was becoming dangerously thick between them, he could feel it. Instead of reacting to it, he ignored it, and trained. But whenever he was near her, it was harder to ignore.

It didn't take long until Dr. Briefs took his seat, but by that time, Vegeta was already eating, his patience barely lasting more than two minutes. No one at the table said anything about it.

Throughout the meal, Vegeta and Bulma avoided eye contact, and the only conversation being held was between Bulma's parents. The tension at the table was known, but ignored. No one noticed how both Bulma and Vegeta shoveled through their meal quickly and left the table early. Both were having trouble ignoring one another's presence, along with the tension.

Once the two left, Bunny turned to her husband and giggled. "Aren't they adorable?"

Dr. Briefs nodded slowly. "Of course dear…" He answered…but he wasn't really listening…

 

_oOo_

The day had finally come.

It took her longer than she anticipated, but she was finished. The newly redone armor hung in the armoire and she couldn't help but admire her own work.

The chest plate was completely refinished with a gold trimming on the outer side of the plate. The metallic-like element of the plate glistened in the light. The shoulders were longer than they originally were, and on each shoulder was a cuff piece to hold a cape in place. The elastic sides had originally felt uncomfortable when we was working on the armor, so when she took a sample of that part of the elastic, she was able to recreate a durable cotton elastic material. Pride swelled in her chest.

She only hoped Vegeta would appreciate her work as much as she did…

Taking a breath, she shut the armoire and went to her control panel, typing in the code for the GR to find that Vegeta wasn't there. She frowned, then sighed. She had hoped to call him via screen communicator, but now she knew she had to do it face to face.

Wanting to get the worse part out of the way, Bulma headed towards his bedroom to find the door was closed. She took a few deep breaths, then knocked, and waited. After getting no response, Bulma knocked again… then waited… again.

Only to have no response.

She frowned and knocked harder, and during mid knock, the door was wrenched open to reveal a dripping wet Vegeta clad only in a white towel. Her hand still raised in mid knock, her eyes traveled downward over his wet chiseled chest, a blush creeping over her cheeks.

She blinked, then cleared her throat and looked up at him. "I see you were in the midst of a shower…"

Vegeta narrowed his eyes, a smirk on his face. "See something you like, onna?"

Bulma's blush brightened. She folded her arms and blurted out, "I just wanted to let you know that I have something for you in my lab."

His smirk faltered. "What is it? Why can't you bring it here?"

Bulma huffed. "This is something you're going to want to see, so I suggest you get dressed and meet me in my lab." And with that, she left him in the doorway, dumbfounded.

Ten minutes went by as Bulma prepared to show him the newly done armor. She fidgeted and shifted from foot to foot. Her anticipation was on its highest level and she could barely contain it.

Bulma turned her head when the doors to her lab swung open and Vegeta walked through. He stood a few feet from her in his signature stance; arms crossed and scowl in place. She took another breath to keep herself calm.

She clasped her hands together. "Okay… I did something for you…" She paused as she watched him tense up. Hesitantly, she continued. "I thought that since you have so much pride in your heritage that I'd remodel the only thing you have left of it…"

Without glancing at his reaction, she opened the armoire where the armor was held, and took it out carefully.

His eyes narrowed as he took in the new armor, a mixture of feelings passing through him, but most of all, he was angry. When she handed him the armor, she self-esteem dropped when he didn't take it. Instead of showing her emotions, she explained herself, sensing his anger. "I wanted to surprise you by remodeling your armor and—"

He interrupted her. "What makes you think you had the right, onna?" His voice was entirely too calm and sent chills down her spine.

She frowned. "I was trying to be nice, Vegeta!"

He finally exploded. "If we were on Vegeta-sei, what you did would be punishable by  _death_!" He took the armor from her hands roughly and examined each curve and detail.

She finally got her reaction… It just wasn't the one she was hoping for.

"You've completely destroyed the only piece I had of my Saiya-jin heritage!" And with that, he walked off, armor in hand.

After he left, Bulma let the tears loose. All the hard work she put into the armor was for naught. She sat down on her stool, defeated, and wallowed in her sadness.  _He didn't even appreciate all the work I put into it…_ She wiped the tears away, but more just came.  _Of course, you stupid! What did you expect he would do? Jump for joy? This is Vegeta, the Prince of Assholes, the guy who doesn't have feelings…_

She wallowed for a few more minutes until another feeling began to kick in… anger. She was angry for not receiving the acknowledgement she deserved. She was angry for the words he spewed at her. She was just  _angry._

Finally wiping the tears away roughly, she made a beeline for his bedroom and knocked hard. "Vegeta!"

"Go away!"

She continued to knock and knock. After awhile, her hand was becoming tired, but she ignored it as she knocked some more. Finally having enough, Vegeta opened the door. " _What!_ " he asked gruffly.

Bulma let loose. "I've had it! Every time you demand something, I do it, but do you ever say thank you, no! Do I complain about not receiving gratitude, no! But this is the last straw!" She took in a breath and continued before he could interrupt. "I did something out of the kindness of my heart, trying to show you that I respect you and your heritage, and you threw it back in my face! I'm not having it!"

She took a step forward. "You act all high and mighty, but I know different! I can tell when someone is lon—"

Vegeta finally cut her off with a growl. "Don't begin to assume you know anything about me when you know nothing or I'll blast you into the next dimension!"

Realizing she had gone too far, Bulma opened her mouth to apologize, but once again, Vegeta cut her off as he placed his hand on the door. "Next time I find that you stole anything of mine, I won't hesitate to kill you." He then slammed the door in her face.

 _That did not go as planned…_  Bulma thought. She let out a shaky breath and felt the tears again, only to push them away as she stomped to her room. She threw herself on her bed, pulled a pillow to her face and screamed in it.

After what just happened, she couldn't figure out why, but her determination to know the mighty Saiya-jin Prince never deterred. Now, she wanted to get past his hard shell.

_I'm crazy… Kami, I'm crazy…_

 

_oOo_

… _TBC…_


	4. Chapter Three: A challenge is hard to resist

_Now this is exactly what I needed!_

Bulma glanced through each window of every shop she passed by. She held several bags in her hands from the many hours she spent at the local mall, shopping. Her next stop was the shoe store. She waltzed in and glanced around at the high shelves, and immediately, the tension she had felt began to dissipate slowly.

_Shoes are the way to a girl's heart…_

She dropped her bags down by a bench and pulled out a box of stilettos and tried them on, all the while keeping her thoughts away from the one being that had cause the tension in the first place. Finally deciding that the shoes fit, she placed them back in the box and placed them under her arm as she picked up her many bags.

Bulma turned a corner and bumped into a hard chest. Before glancing up, she quickly mumbled out "Excuse me!" as her eyes caught a pair of black knee-high boots. Before she was able to appreciate the sight for long, the voice stopped her dead in her tracks.

"Bulma…?"

She tensed up immediately and held her breath.  _Please let that be my imagination… Please don't let it be who I think it is…_ She turned around slowly, only to come face to face with Yamcha.

_Great._

"Um… Hi," She said hesitantly.  _Oh, this is going to be awkward…_

Yamcha scratched the back of his head, his eyes avoiding her figure. "Hey… So…"

Bulma nodded and bit her lip. "Yeah… so…"

"How are you?" They both asked simultaneously. Bulma cringed at the awkwardness of the situation while Yamcha shook his head and sighed.

It had been almost two months since they broke up and they hadn't seen each other since. Bulma immediately felt guilty. Since they broke up, she had barely thought about him; her time and thoughts mostly consumed with her new projects and demands of Vegeta.

Yamcha cracked a small, but uncomfortable smile. "You first…" He chuckled.

Bulma shook her head and took a deep breath; the tension of the situation was almost unbearable. "Well… I've been really busy… H-how have you been?"

"Alright," was his simple answer as he stuffed his hands in his coat pockets.

Bulma nodded.

The silence then stretched for an uncomfortable few minutes. Bulma glanced down at the floor, not sure of how to reach out to him. Though she had been hurt when they broke up, she had assumed that they would be able to become friends some day. But now, she wasn't sure. She looked up when she heard him sigh deeply.

"You know, I was just going to get a cup of coffee, would you like to come with?" he asked, his eyes finally meeting hers.

She smiled politely and nodded. "Sure… Um…" She glanced down at her box of shoes. "Just let me pay for these first?"

Yamcha nodded and proceeded to wait outside of the store for her while she paid for her stilettos at the counter. When that was done, she met him by the door and together, they walked to the café. He gestured for her to take a seat as he waited by the counter and she sat her bags down next to her. Rubbing her hands together nervously, she watched as he waited near the counter.  _Guess this had to happen eventually, huh?_

After a few minutes a cup was placed in front of her and she glanced up to see Yamcha take the seat from across her. She smiled and thanked him before taking a cautious sip to find that it was her favorite drink; a café mocha with whipped crème and chocolate sauce on top. They sat in silence for a few more minutes, each sipping at their respective drinks and taking sly glances at each other.

Finally Bulma had enough. She sat her drink down and folded her hands in her lap. "I'm sorry with how things ended between us!" She blurted out.

Yamcha sighed and sat his drink down, resting his arms on the table. "I know… I am too…" He started. "I shouldn't have blamed our problems on  _him_ … You were right."

Bulma sat shocked and her eyes widened at his confession. He continued. "You mean a lot to me, but you were right. We've had problems for too long and it was only a matter of time till it got worse." He held up his hand when she tried to interrupt him. "I'm not asking you to take me back like I normally would."

With that, Bulma blinked and her shoulders slumped.  _Wow…_

Yamcha smirked. "I take it you didn't expect that?"

She shook her head. "Not quite… No…" Swallowing a lump, Bulma thought over what she wanted to say. She glanced up at him and smiled. "I actually half expected you to never speak to me again. But, I would like for us to be friends, if that's possible." She wrung her hands together under the table nervously. "You were my best friend and I don't want to lose that."

Yamcha nodded, though his heart was hoping for something entirely different. "Friends… Friends are good." All-in-all, he would take what he could get. He knew things would never be the same between them, but he refused to let her go.

Bulma's shoulders began to slump. "I wish things could go back to normal but—"

He cut her off quickly. "Let's just leave it at that, B… What we had was amazing, but…" He trailed off, searching for the right words. "But, if I can't be with you in that way… Then I'll take you as my friend. You're too important for me to lose and no matter what," he swallowed as he said this slowly his voice cracking with emotion. "No matter what, I'm always going to love you."

She bit her lip, her eyes glistening with unspent tears at his confession, and she agreed, though silently.  _I'll always love you too, Yamcha…_

_oOo_

It was near dark when Bulma finally arrived home. She rubbed her aching neck as she sat on her bed. The day hadn't quite worked as she had hoped, but it was still fulfilling in an entirely different manner. Running into Yamcha was unexpected and their talk was even more surprising. But she was glad they had it. After their talk, she could feel that culpable feeling drift away and they had begun to talk more conformably.

After reconciling their friendship, all Bulma wanted to do was get home and take a long hot bath. And that was the only thing on her mind right now. She got up off the bed and made her way to the bathroom. On her way, she grabbed her bathrobe and hung it on the edge of the door. Turning to the shower, she turned the knobs and the tub began to fill with hot steamy water.

She grabbed her lilac bath salts and sprinkled it in the filling tub before closing the bathroom door and leaving it ajar; she began to remove her clothing and climbed into the tub. The hot water immediately brought relief to her aching muscles and she let out a breath as she began to soak. Bulma let the bath fill a little more before she lifted her foot and turned the nozzle all the way to the right, turning it off.

Closing her eyes, Bulma rested her head on the edge of the tub. After a long day of shopping, this was exactly what she needed.  _A trip to the spa would do the trick… but I guess this'll do…_ Her thoughts turned to Yamcha. The entire few hours they were together in that small café, he never once asked about Vegeta, though she could tell he wanted too. She was proud that he was able to control the amount of hostile anger he held towards the alien.

She soaked for a good hour before she emerged from the bathroom in her robe and crawled into bed. Peeking at her clock, it read a quarter past eleven. Bulma closed her eyes and waited for sleep to claim her. Today was fulfilling and she hoped that tomorrow would be just as rewarding… though something told her it would be entirely opposite.

_oOo_

The next day, Bulma emerged from her room, refreshed and with a smile on her face. It was early morning, nearly eight, when she entered her kitchen in search of breakfast. Her smile faltered when she found a note on the counter. It was from her mother.

_Bulma dear,_

_Your father and I will be back in two weeks from our anniversary trip. Take good care of our special house guest!_

_Mom_

Bulma crumbled the small piece of paper up and threw it in the trash. She had totally forgotten about their trip! A month ago, her mother had to remind her that they were leaving for their anniversary for a few weeks, but with her busy schedule, she completely forgot. Now what was she suppose to do? She was stuck alone with Vegeta of all people!

_Oh my Kami! Someone up there hates me!_

Bulma turned to the fridge and pulled out the milk, butter, eggs, and bacon. She wasn't the best cook, but damn it she was independent enough to fend for herself! Pulling out a frying pan, she turned the stove top on low heat and began to make her meal. The entire time she was cooking, she never noticed the muscular figure that came up behind her.

"You're cooking?" asked the figure incredulously.

She jumped and turned about face, then frowned. Vegeta was leaning against the island with a condescending smirk. Bulma growled. "Of course, I'm cooking, Vegeta! I can cook, unlike  _some_ people!" She turned back to the stove to keep an eye on the bacon. She was good as multi-tasking, but only when it came to science, not cooking.

Vegeta frowned. "Where's that infuriating creature you call a mother?"

"On a trip," was all Bulma said as she flipped the bacon.

"Where?" He demanded.

Bulma shrugged. She took a glimpse back at him and noticed his tense stance, and he was no longer leaning against the counter. She sighed.  _Maybe if I feed him he won't be so mad when I tell him how long we'll be alone together._

She faced him. "I bet you didn't eat…" He shrugged. Bulma shook her head. "How about I make you breakfast? Call it a future peace offering?" At this, Vegeta raised a suspicious brow, but Bulma didn't continue. She just simply smiled at him and turned back to the stove, and began to double each portion.

They both stood in the kitchen together in silence as Bulma made breakfast. Finally, she sat the many platters of food on the table and they ate. As she took a bite of her eggs, she glanced at the other end of the table towards him, deciding whether now was a good time to say anything. She shrugged mentally.  _I made a peace offer, hopefully it'll hold!_

She swallowed. "So, um, Vegeta… You know how my mom left for that trip…?"

He just grunted.

She eyed the food before her nervously. "And how I made that peace offering…?"

Vegeta set his fork down. "What are you getting at, onna?" he asked exasperated.

Bulma wrung her hands together nervously under the table, but smiled at him softly. "Well… My dad's not here either… They went on their anniversary trip…" She took a deep breath. "And they won't be back for two weeks!" She said quickly.

Vegeta's eyes widened and before he was able to protest she jumped up and held her hands up. "This is why I made you a peace offering with the food!"

"You mean we're going to be alone for  _two weeks!_ " he bellowed.

Bulma cringed and nodded. "I don't like it just as much as you! But we're going to have to make the best of it!"

Vegeta glared at her and she returned the stare as best as she could muster. As much as she didn't like being alone with him for two weeks, she would be damned if she'd let him make it a negative experience. Besides, at the end of it, maybe they would become friends… right?

Right…?

_oOo_

Vegeta sat in the GR. It wasn't turned on and he wasn't training. His arms were crossed and he sat Indian style, glaring at the wall before him. No, he wasn't sulking! He refused to sulk. He was just pissed!

_Alone with that wench for two weeks! This is hell._

Not too long after she broke the  _horrible_  news to him, he left the table and holed himself up in the GR. Now, he had been sitting in there for the better part of an hour—not sulking. She wanted to make the best of it? How could you make the best out of a horrible situation? In his mind, it just wasn't possible.

He finally had enough pondering and stood. He powered up the GR and cranked the gravity up to 450g's and almost fell to his knees under the pressure. Making the jump from 350 to 450 was a hefty jump, but he needed to work out the tension that had built in his muscles.

Vegeta called out to the computer to power up the battle bots and he in turn formed a ki shield around him to help adjust to the gravity. Finally, he lifted off the floor and began to dodge each blast from the bots.

_Train… Dodge… Focus…_

He pushed the onna to the back of his mind and focused on the task at hand.

_Just train…_

_oOo_

He was so childish!

He just left!

_Probably sulking in his precious GR!_

Bulma paced the living room. She was angry. She didn't like the fact that she had to be alone with him for two weeks either, but she was staying positive! Why couldn't he? _It's not like I'm asking him to sleep with me or anything, I was just making a peace offering!_

Then her thoughts turned. What would it be like to sleep with Vegeta? The only person she had ever been with was Yamcha and now that they weren't together, she was left to imagine. She couldn't have Yamcha anymore… She didn't want Yamcha anymore… Bulma admitted to a small crush on Vegeta, but she never thought about actually sleeping with him… till now.

She turned red. This wasn't something she should be thinking about; especially when she knew she was going to be alone with him for so long. It would just make things worse and awkward.  _But those muscles…_  whispered a tiny voice in the back of her mind. Oh, what it would feel like to run her hands over each of those muscles and to feel them ripple under her touch.

_No, Bulma… Bad… Bad Bulma!_

She hit the side of her head.  _Get those dirty thoughts out, now!_

Bulma crossed her arms and huffed. She stood by the window and took a glimpse at the GR. Was he training? Probably.

 _Probably working up a good sweat._ Whispered that small voice. She closed her eyes and rested her head on the glass. She could just imagine the glistening of the sweat on his body as he trained. She'd seen it many times when she interrupted his training. She could remember very easily how his breathing was rapid and heavy; how the drips of sweat slid down his muscular chest towards his abdomen.

Her breathing increased. She snapped her eyes open and scolded herself again.  _Bad Bulma! No more dirty thoughts of the hostile Saiya-jin._

She nodded her head, determined to push those thoughts to the back of her mind. Bulma pushed herself away from the window and made her way to the lab. She needed a good distraction.

After spending two hours in her lab, Bulma wanted to scream. The distraction didn't help. She sketched, she mended, she problem-solved. Nothing seemed to keep her mind distracted long enough. It continued to drift back to Vegeta. She finally decided that she was just sexually frustrated.

Before her and Yamcha had broken up, the last time they had been together intimately was a very long time. It put both of them on edge. She had always made the excuse that she was too tired from working in the lab. Now that she realized how long it had been, the tension hit her like a truck. She knew she needed relief, but she would rather lick the floor than go to Vegeta for it.

She was capable of finding relief elsewhere.

_oOo_

Vegeta and Bulma avoided each other for the next twenty-four hours. She never found her relief and training wasn't helping him. The tension continued to build and it was only a matter of time before they both reached their breaking point.

It was nearing dinner time and Bulma did not want to cook. She stood near the kitchen and glanced through a series of menus. Finally, she decided that pizza would be easier to order than anything else. After ordering ten boxes of pepperoni pizzas, Bulma sat on the couch in the living room and began to count to three.

_One…two…thre—_

"Onna!" Vegeta yelled.

Bulma rolled her eyes. "I ordered pizza so hold your horses!"

Vegeta stomped into the living room and crossed his arms. "Hold my horses?"

"It's an expression, it mean's be patient."

Growling, Vegeta stood straight. "Do not presume you can order me around like a servant, onna!"

"Whatever…" she mumbled as she flipped the television on.

Her frustration was getting the better of her and she was having trouble holding it in. She avoided eye contact with Vegeta, but didn't pay attention to what was on the TV either. She was having an inner battle with herself.

 _Just do it, Bulma!_ That small voice whispered in encouragement.  _You know he's probably equally as frustrated as you! It'll help you both!_

 _No!_ Bulma screamed mentally.  _It's not right! I'm not a whore!_

Vegeta noticed Bulma's odd behavior but chose to ignore it as he sat on the opposite side of the couch. He could sense the frustration radiating off her and he shifted in his seat. It was unlike him to react to another creature in such a way as he had been, but he couldn't find it in him where he had  _allowed_  things to change.

He, too, was equally frustrated, if not more, but he was able to hide it. The last time he was with a woman was when he was purging planets for Frieza and that was too long ago. But with Bulma it was different. She acted too much like a Saiya-jin and he had never been with a female Saiya-jin. With her, he could pretend. Her personality and attitude was very much like a female Saiya-jin and that in itself was a turn on.

They sat in an uncomfortable silence. Neither of them was watching the TV. Each of them was facing an inner battle and coming close to losing. Finally, the gate bell rang and Bulma sighed with relief as she sprang from her seat to allow the pizza deliverer to approach the front door. They exchanged pizza and money and she waltzed into the kitchen, setting the many boxes on the counter.

She turned to grab two plates and turned back to find half of the boxes gone. Bulma rolled her eyes and put the other plate away, before lifting two slices from the box and setting them on her own. She made her way back into the living room to find Vegeta there with the five missing boxes, the contents of one nearly gone.

_Pig…_

Sitting on the couch, she ate her pizza with grace, all the while stealing glances of the alien next to her. She watched as he shoveled through each box and was done in a matter of minutes before pushing the offending boxes away and left without a word or a glance in her direction. She watched him leave, her mouth hanging open. She was  _at least_ expecting  _something_! But  _nothing_?

Bulma eyed her slice of pizza with distaste, her appetite ruined. She threw her plate on the coffee table and leaned back against the couch. She was tired of being ignored. She was tired of dancing around him and avoiding him. But most of all… She was tired of being frustrated. She was beginning to feel like it was the same thing over and over.

One moment she was sitting on the couch, fuming over her frustrations and the next she found herself standing outside of Vegeta's bedroom door, her hand raised to knock hesitantly. She knew he could probably sense her there, but something inside of her didn't care. Bulma felt like she was having an out-of-body experience. She felt like she had no control over her actions.

Before her hand was able to knock, the door opened. Vegeta stood before her and they both stared at each other. Neither said a word. She opened her mouth, then closed it. Finally, she took a small step forward, stood on her toes, and kissed him. It was a soft rub of the lips. Stepping back, she looked up at him through hooded eyes, waiting for a reaction.

He didn't know how to react. The moment her lips met his, his mind went blank. He knew she was aroused, he could smell it with his keen Saiya-jin senses. After a good minute, he wrapped his arm around her waist and hoisted her into the room, slamming the door behind them.

Bulma wrapped her arms around Vegeta's neck and smashed her lips to his hungrily. She felt her back hit a smooth surface and his hands slid down under her thighs. He lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist tightly, their kiss becoming more demanding by the second. His lips left hers and trailed down her slender neck, nipping and licking along the way.

They pushed away from the wall and he threw her onto the bed before crawling on top of her like a predator. She watched his muscles ripple as he moved on top of her and she finally had her opportunity to run her hands over them. Vegeta reached down and ripped her shirt down the middle before descending his lips to the base of her neck and trailing them down to the swell of her breasts, suckling gently. She tried to hold in a moan, but it was in vain.

Bulma arched her back as his hands snapped the straps to her bra and she helped him remove the remnants' of it. Gripping his hair, she pulled him towards her and he growled. Her chest heaved with her heavy breathing and Vegeta ran his nose along her neck taking in her scent. Moaning, Bulma ran her hands down his back, her nails making indents in his skin. Feeling pressure on her breasts, she looked down and saw his hands massaging them.

He lifted one of his hands and took a nipple in his mouth, suckling in a gentle manner. Her mind was boggled. She was surprised to find how gentle he held her when he always seemed rough. She moaned as heat flooded through her stomach. Neither was thinking of their actions, they were just letting their feelings control them.

Vegeta ran his lips down her stomach and his hands found purchase at her hips. Slowly, one his hands began to unbutton and unzip her pants, removing them entirely. Becoming nervous, Bulma watched as he nipped his way along her panty line. She jumped when she felt his fingers slide along her wet underwear.

"Vegeta…" she sighed as she closed her eyes.

He chuckled darkly and glanced up at her. He took her hand and placed it on the bulge of his pants as he leaned over her figure. "Are you sure you can handle this?" he asked in almost a mocking manner.

Feeling the large bulge through his pants, Bulma finally came to her senses, and swallowed. Was she really going to go through with this and have  _sex_  with Vegeta? Noticing her pause, Vegeta sat back on his knees and leaned down to grab the tattered forms of her shirt, and handed it to her. She looked at her ripped shirt, then to him.

"Don't do something you're not sure you're even willing to finish, onna." He said in what sounded like a soft tone…

Bulma sat up and took her shirt, surprised that he was being as nice as he was. She eyed him and he stared back. She got off the bed and stood, her shirt in her hand, and the rest of her clothes scattered across his floor. She took a breath and gathered the rest of her clothes, and was stopped by his voice before she was able to leave.

"We will finish this eventually…" he muttered.

Bulma smiled as she faced the door, then looked at him over her shoulder seductively. "Who say's?" She asked, challengingly.

Vegeta smirked and Bulma left his room, her head held high.

_oOo_

… _TBC…_  



	5. Chapter Four: Listen to my head or my heart?

Right after leaving his bedroom, Bulma headed straight to her room and threw her shredded clothing in a corner, and sat on the bed. Did she really just walk  _away_ from sex? Sex with  _Vegeta_? Impossible. She had to be sick. Feeling her head, Bulma confirmed that she had no fever… So why did she leave? She lay back on her bed, completely baffled. A part of her wanted to run back to his room, forget her nerves, and listen to that small voice that continued to push her towards him. But something else stopped her. Bulma scrunched up her nose. Why couldn't she figure out what stopped her? Frustrated, she hopped off her bed and marched into her bathroom in desperate need of a good soak. Her nerves were in a bundle and her aggravation levels were high.

She passed her robe and turned to the tub to fill it up, completely disregarding her bath salts as well, and undressed; which only consisted of taking off the last piece of underwear she had on. She just wanted to soak. No pampering was needed. Closing the toilet lid, Bulma sat down and waited as the tub began to fill. She let out a breath and rested her head in her hands, slumping over.  _I'm so stupid!_  It didn't take long for the tub to fill and Bulma climbed in, resting her mystified head against the edge.

Bulma realized that not only was she utterly confused, but even  _more_  sexually frustrated than she was before. Was that even possible? Nothing like this had ever happened to her, but then again with Yamcha, all she had to do was spread her legs and he hopped on her like a Chihuahua in heat… Not to say sex with Yamcha was bad, but it wasn't entirely satisfying after a while. She craved  _more._  Maybe that was why she stopped being intimate with him for so long. Their sex life became  _predictable_ and…  _boring…_  That wasn't something she wanted, nor was interested in. She always went after mysterious men… dangerous men… That's why she was attracted to Yamcha in the first place. He gave off those traits. When they first met, he was unpredictable. She loved that about him. But after dating him for nearly a decade, they fell into a comfortable routine and nothing became spontaneous.

Then there was Vegeta. The hostile and angry Saiya-jin no Ouji. For a long time, she never admitted that she was  _attracted_  to him… it was always just a small crush. So why was she reacting this way around him? Thinking back to her behavior with his reactions, Bulma cringed. She never once realized how much she had craved seeing his reactions to the point it had become an obsession of hers. Yes, she loved knowing that somewhere  _deep_  down, Vegeta actually respected the hard work she put in to the things she did for him… but to chase after him, and to steal his armor just for the satisfaction  _now_  made her stomach turn.

_What was I thinking?_

Then the bedroom incident. Bulma sighed. The moment her lips met his, she knew she felt  _something_  towards him. Her heart began to beat rapidly as she replayed their kiss. Bulma could still feel his lips on her. When they kissed, she was taken aback to find how soft his lips were.  _He was so gentle…_  It astounded her to find how things had turned out between them, but she knew how he would act the next day, even though when she left he insinuated things would continue. But she wasn't so sure. Tomorrow, things would change.

Settling lower in the bathtub, Bulma blew at the water. What would she do tomorrow? Things definitely weren't going to be the same. Should she act like nothing happened? Should she approach him and talk about their behavior? She knew it shouldn't happen again, no matter how much her body craved his. But in a way, she was terrified to approach him because she didn't  _want_  to know his response this time.

She wiped her face with her wet hands and leaned her head back again.  _I should've just slept with him… I should've just given in to that annoying little voice… Ugh!_

Finally, the anger began to dissipate and was replaced with disappointment. She knew she would have to face him, but she didn't want to.  _I can't believe I put myself in this position!_   _I'd rather face him angry and about to destroy the whole planet than face him after walking away from sex._  Bulma knew what she had to do, and after an internal war with herself, she sighed and sank under the water.

_This sucks._

_oOo_

Vegeta rested his hands on the tile walls of the shower, the cold water beating rapidly against his overheated skin. It wasn't too long ago when she left that he decided he needed a good long cold shower to sooth his… problem. After their little bout of lust in his bedroom, Vegeta decided that he was becoming too soft. He allowed her to leave when his instincts screamed to take her no matter how she felt! That wasn't him. In the past, Vegeta never allowed a women to get as close to him as he allowed Bulma; he just fucked and left, not caring to pay attention to the features of the woman. If they demanded more or disobeyed him, refusing to leave, he killed them with no remorse. He never came across a woman who rejected his advances; Bulma was the first. When he saw her facial features change, he knew she was uncertain about what she was doing.

He wasn't going to lie, he wanted things to continue… he wanted to finish what was started, but now that it was over and she left, his head began to clear more, allowing him to think about his actions. Continuing wasn't an option anymore. Vegeta wanted no attachments and with Bulma, he feared she'd become attached. He wasn't worried about how she would act tomorrow; he'd just ignore whatever response she'd throw at him and pretend like nothing had happen. If that was possible.

But Vegeta knew things wouldn't be that easy. The wench never made things easy for him. As much as it infuriated him, he admired her feistiness and strong spirit. It was both amusing and entertaining. Never in his life had he met a creature like her. But it didn't stop him from plotting her death day in and day out, only to have to walk out the door to prevent him from slipping. He couldn't kill her. He hated to admit it, but he needed her. Her knowledge and ability to upgrade his training equipment was essential to his ascension. That was what he continued to tell himself. He was  _only_ keeping her alive for his benefits.

Vegeta scrubbed almost mechanically at his arms and torso as he thought. What if things hadn't stopped between them, though? He shook his head and scowled.  _Thoughts like that are for the weak and I am NOT weak!_  No, he wouldn't think about the  _what if's_ and the  _maybe's_. He only focused on the future and the key to his ascension. Training should be the only thing on his mind and he was determined to keep it that way.

If the wench wanted to talk about it, well then that was too bad. She wasn't going to like what he would say, but she would just have to deal.

_oOo_

The next morning, Bulma found herself alone in the kitchen cooking breakfast. She half expected Vegeta to emerge from the simulator as the smell of bacon wafted through the air, but alas, the simulator continued to run. She frowned. On the counter next to the stove was a stack of well-made buttermilk pancakes and some of the bacon already done. She glanced out the window as she pulled the last of the bacon out of the frying pan, hoping to see Vegeta walking out of the GR, but again, she saw nothing but the flashing lights of the simulator as it continued to run.

Bulma sighed.

_Looks like I'll be eating breakfast alone…_

After last night, she was hoping to talk about their actions. A part of her was relieved that he hadn't shown, but another part of her wanted answers. Sitting at the table, Bulma picked up the syrup and dowsed her pancakes, then dug in. She looked up at the other end of the table, frowning, and the feeling of loneliness beginning to sink in. After several bites, Bulma's head popped up at the sound of loud footsteps coming towards her and she looked over to see the simulator was off. Butterflies began to flutter throughout her stomach when Vegeta appeared in the doorway. She watched as he walked into the kitchen without glancing her way, and she heard the fridge open abruptly. She turned back to her pancakes and chewed slowly, all the while Vegeta's presence a constant in her mind.

Bulma jumped when a plate was dropped on the opposite end of the table and Vegeta took a seat, still not making eye contact. It seemed like he was going to completely ignore her presence! Narrowing her eyes, she sat back in her chair and crossed both her legs and arms. Bulma continued to stare him down, all the while contemplating what she should say to him. She was becoming angry, but she didn't want to show how he was able to stir her emotions up so easily.

Vegeta could easily feel her eyes on him, but he chose to ignore them as he ate. He decided while he was training that he would not be the one to bring up the topic of  _last night_. He wasn't the weak one. The past was the past.

But that wasn't enough for her.

"Don't you think we should talk?" Bulma's quiet, but very irritating voice invaded Vegeta's mind.

Without looking up from his plate, Vegeta replied, "About what exactly?"

Her jaw nearly dropped. Was he playing dumb with her or was he serious? "About last night?"

Vegeta swallowed and dropped his fork before glaring up at her through narrowed eyes. "There is nothing to talk about. Nothing happened, end of conversation." He said bluntly before taking a sip of his orange juice, his eyes still on her, daring her to object.

Biting her lip out of frustration, Bulma felt her chest tighten. She knew he would act somewhat like this, but what she didn't expect was her  _own_  reaction. "Nothing happened? We nearly had sex! I would think that constitutes as  _something_!"

Rolling his eyes, Vegeta let out an exasperated breath. "Get a hold of yourself, onna," he said bitterly, not liking how worked up she was becoming. He was beginning to feel his fears were coming true. She was becoming attached, if she wasn't attached already. He'd have to squash that immediately. "Last night was a mistake that will not be repeated."

Her eyes widen. Rationally, she was telling herself that she wasn't surprised to hear this and she shouldn't be affected, but her irrational part was overpowering her. After realizing her feelings for the man before her, she wanted that night to mean something, but she knew it wouldn't be realistic. It was an act of pure lust for him… In his eyes, it was just a weak moment.

She wouldn't be that type of girl.

Her eyes hardened as she mulled this over. "You're right. Last night was a mistake. Why would I want to give myself to a jerk-off like you, anyway? It's a good thing I left!" She ranted acrimoniously.

Vegeta scoffed. "Give yourself to me? Onna, don't fool yourself! Why would I let someone as hideous as you into my bed?" he smirked condescendingly.

An eyebrow cocked, Bulma leaned forward, her arms resting on the table top, her finger pointer accusingly at him. "You didn't complain last night! If I remember correctly,  _you_ were the one who pulled  _me_  into  _your_  room!" Vegeta opened his mouth to retort, but Bulma wouldn't have it. She immediately cut him off. "I really don't care what you have to say anymore. I agree, last night probably shouldn't have happened, but it did! And because of it, I finally discovered something…" She smiled as she stared him down, the sudden thought drifting through her mind.

When she didn't say anything, Vegeta became impatient. "Well, what is it,  _genius_?"

Standing, her plate in hand, she set it in the sink and walked towards the main staircase, throwing over her shoulder. "That you want me or else last night wouldn't have happened at all!" Then she disappeared around the corner of the hallway.

Vegeta sat there, dumbfounded, then he shouted, "It was a weak moment that will never happen again!" But when he received no reply, his anger only worsened.

Shoving his plate away, he sat in his seat and fumed.  _I do not want her! It was a weak moment and nothing else!_  With his appetite ruined, Vegeta stood up, his chair sliding back with the force of his stance, and he gathered his plates and threw them in the sink, not caring if they broke. He was too angry. The audacity that woman had to accuse _him_  of wanting  _her_  was absurd! He would never lower himself to want such a lowly human, especially the onna. She was too annoying, loud-mouthed, and vulgar. And most of all, she was  _human_.

He needed to work off some of this aggression and training was exactly what he needed. He strode out to the gravity simulator, closed and locked the door, then turned to the control panel and cranked up the gravity. As soon as the gravity kicked in, he lifted off the ground and began to spar with the air.

_How dare she! That bitch has a death wish!_

Though on the outside he was angry, deep down, he admitted that she was rather attractive… for a human. Maybe that was why he gave in last night. Just because he had been so frustrated and he found her a bit attractive. He rationalized that it was just a bad situation that happened at the wrong time. He knew he was extremely sexually frustrated and was in desperate need of a good lay, and the onna was the only person around that—at the moment—in his mind was good enough to satisfy him. But now, he was still frustrated… He still found her physique quite attractive… And she was  _still_  on his mind.

_I should just screw her and get all this frustration out of the way._

_oOo_

Bulma smiled as she set her wrench down on her workbench. She had spent the majority of the day in her lab, finishing up a new project… and avoiding Vegeta. She felt particularly triumphant when she was able to get the last word in during their little spat at breakfast a few days ago, especially when she was able to leave him speechless and dumbfounded. That was a rarity with Vegeta. Picking up the various pieces to her project, she sat them in their respective containers, and stored them away, before turning to the incomplete platform near the back of the lab. Eyeing the platform, Bulma pushed Vegeta to the furthest part of her mind and sighed.  _I'm going to have to assign some workers to help me with this part._

The blueprints were sat out on her desk and she picked them up, comparing them to the platform before her. The platform itself was barely started, the frame was the only thing done, while the other components were scattered across the floor near it and were too big to put away. She felt frustrated. Her father had left these blueprints for her to begin working on for the military base so they wouldn't fall behind schedule and from the looks of it, they already were. There was nothing she could do about it now. Setting the blueprints aside, she sat at her desk and picked up the phone, dialing the number for the corporation in East Central. She was going to need more help than she realized. After leaving a message with her secretary there, she left her lab and made her way to the kitchen on the other side of the compound, her stomach grumbling along the way.

Passing a window, she saw that the simulator was off, shocking her. If the simulator was off, then where was Vegeta? Sounds of metal clanking together in the kitchen answered her. Her eyebrows rose curiously, she inched her way there to find Vegeta standing over the stove, steam enveloping the kitchen as water boiled over. She smiled in amusement as she watched his panicked form try to move the overflowing pot.

Immediately forgetting her previous anger with the prince before her, she stepped forward, her arms crossed, and a teasing smirk on her face. "What are you doing?"

His form stiffened and he turned his head to the side to glance her way. "What does it look like,  _idiot_?" he sneered, his face reddened with what looked like a blush forming. Was he embarrassed?

Bulma chuckled and motioned towards the stove. "It looks like your trying to cook… And failing."

"Well, if that infuriating creature you call a mother wasn't gone then I wouldn't be lowering myself to be doing a servants job!" He bellowed, then hissed as hot boiling water splashed from the pot and onto his hand.

Bulma shook her head. "Then, why didn't you come find me?" When he mumbled something under his breath, Bulma's smirk widened. "What was that, dear prince? I don't speak monkey!" She said sweetly.

Growling he spat, "I said, I'd rather attempt this shit myself then lower myself to ask  _you_  for anything!"

She slumped her shoulders and sighed. She knew that wasn't what he said, but she didn't say anything. She gently pushed him away from the stove, then turned the dial down and pulled the lid off the pot. Without complaint, Vegeta leaned against the counter and watched her movements. Then he cringed when she opened her mouth as she poured in the pasta. "You could've come and got me, it never stopped you before, Vegeta."

Narrowing his eyes, Vegeta turned his head away. "I am a prince, I do not need assistance for such trivial things."

Bulma chuckled. "Oh? I thought a prince didn't lower himself to do a servants job, too?" She asked, teasingly.

Vegeta turned back to her, ready to spew venom for her comment, when he noticed the playful smile on her face, and his shoulders relaxed. He smirked. "Damn right, onna."

She smiled and the tension that once existed between them began to ease. She stirred the pasta, then gazed at his form out of the corner of her eyes. She watched as he watched her work almost studiously, taking note that he hadn't left. Instantly, her heart began to beat a little faster. Draining the pasta and pouring it into a pan with sauce, she continued to cook, while observing the prince subtly. Then, she poured the pasta into a serving bowl and sat it before him, smiling softly.

Surprisingly, he nodded and took the bowl, and walked away.

She knew that things were changing between them. He was becoming a distraction to her, making it harder for her to concentrate on her work, and the frustration she was experiencing wasn't helping either. But after their spat, she decided that she wasn't going to become another conquest of his. No. If anything, she wanted respect from him, and she wasn't going to lower herself to just a bout of lust between the sheets. She knew if it came to that, she would want more, and he would most likely not give it.

Her head was telling her one thing and her heart was screaming another. It was just a matter of time until one of them won.

_oOo_

… _TBC…_  



	6. Chapter 5: Let Me In

Things became harder for Bulma since the tension lessoned. She had imagined the opposite; thinking that once the tension began to dissipate, she would be able to think clearer. That wasn’t the case. Not only did it become harder to separate her thoughts of the prince, but it also became more difficult to understand the feelings she was experiencing towards him too… She was coming to find that she cared for him on a level that was beginning to frighten her.

Ever since she cooked for them, things between the two of them returned to normal. Normal? Nothing about them was normal. He demanded whatever it was he needed from her and she would retort in a sarcastic tone, causing an outright verbal battle—in a way. But this was as close to normal as it would get for the two. Their normal verbal battles use to be fierce and could be carried on for at least a good twenty minutes till one of them either won or just walked away out of sheer frustration. As of recently, it became a passing of few words. So, normal? In Vegeta’s mind, yes, things were normal. In Bulma’s mind, something was off.

Neither of them talked about their lust-filled encounter or the small—as Bulma began to call it— _bonding_ _moment_ they had in the kitchen. She wasn’t entirely sure what was going through his head; if he was as confused as her or if he really was as emotionless as he put off. But Bulma was sure there was more to the alien prince then he let on. That there was something deep, buried away inside him, just waiting to be unlocked by the right key. She knew he was hard headed and that, if she tried to get close, he would just pull even further away. But that was what she was beginning to want. To be close to him, to become something special instead of being looked at like a servant to do his dirty work and be dismissed when he didn’t need her. That wasn’t what she neither wanted nor felt she deserved.

But then again, she had to remind herself that he was raised _entirely_ different from her. One, he was a prince of a nearly dead race and looked down on all creatures like they were below him. Two, he was raised by a tyrant. She had no idea what happened to him while he was under Frieza’s command, but she saw the scars that marred his muscular body and knew they all weren’t from purging planets and fighting fierce battles. Bulma knew there was an even darker side to Vegeta than the one she witnessed on Planet Namek; just thinking about it would cause shivers to run up her spine in both fear and excitement. He was a mysterious man with a dark past and a lot of passion.

Though he didn’t want to let anyone close to him, for just a short time, she was able to see a side to him that she had thought never existed. She was able to experience a small amount of passion he held. It was something she wanted to experience again. But how? How would she be able to invoke a reaction from him like she was able to the night they almost shared each other?

Bulma drummed her fingertips on the counter of the kitchen as she watched the lights flashing from the GR. It was only two days since she cooked for him and since, he locked himself up in the simulator and cranked up his training. Last night, she waited up in her room to see how late he was training, and when she heard the door slam, she glanced at the red digits of the clock next to her bed. It read a quarter past three in the morning. Over three hours past the normal time he would quit.

She knew something was bothering him, but it was just a feeling. He acted normal, he ate normally, he demanded from her normally. But the look in his eyes told her something was off. She felt it every time he was around her. Bulma wanted to approach him about it, but her stomach would tie in knots whenever she was about to do so. When she called him for dinner the other night, she was surprised to find him walking with a slight slouch to his posture. And when his eyes met hers from across the table, she nearly gasped with shock. They looked so defeated. But as soon as the look was there, it was gone, replaced with a severe scowl.

Turning away from the window, Bulma opened the fridge and began to prepare lunch. She knew his daily routine pretty well; wake up at five, train, demand breakfast, train, eat lunch, train, eat dinner, train, and then train some more, normally till midnight. But the last two nights, he trained till three in the morning. So, his routine was nearly normal.

It was nearing his break for lunch, and Bulma sensed that he was in a foul mood. She wanted to stay on his good side and have lunch ready for him before he came into the compound to search her out for his meal. The food was on the stove cooking when he came barging through the doorway to the kitchen, on the prowl for his food. But he stopped abruptly when he saw Bulma at the stove flipping and stirring away, his words dying on the edge of his tongue at the sight of her. Bulma turned her head to the side to glance his way, and when she did so, his stance straightened, and his arms crossed. She smiled softly at him and he turned to sit at the kitchen table.

The meal didn’t take long to finish, before she sat it down on the table in front of him. “Here, I thought I’d be nice and make you lunch without you _having_ to ask…” She said softly, almost teasingly, as she sat down next to him. He grunted and began to pile food onto his plate and ate in silence, Bulma doing the same.

No one said a word, although Bulma wanted to approach the subject of his behavior again, and the moment she opened her mouth, her stomach began to tie in knots, causing her to push her food away and lean back in her chair. Vegeta paid her no attention as he devoured his meal with a quick pace and before Bulma knew it, he left the table to return to the GR, not once glancing in her direction.

She wasn’t entirely surprised. This was how he acted for the last two days. Come in, eat, occasional small talk, glare, leave. However, tonight, there was no small talk, there was no argument, and Bulma was beginning to miss their daily banter. Their arguments were now few and far between, which supported her theory that something was _wrong_ with Vegeta.

Bulma turned back to her abandoned meal and began to eat slowly, mulling over her thoughts. _Ugh… Talk to him… Don’t talk to him… I hate my stupid feelings!_ She took another bite and stared at her plate as she continued to have a conversation with herself. _Why does he have to be so difficult to read? Why do I have to be so emotional? Stupid Bulma…_ Bulma, again, took another bite, this time, chewing her food roughly as her thoughts turned to anger. _Stupid Vegeta! Stupid feelings… Why do I care? He made me care! Ugh!_ Throwing her fork down on the table, Bulma gave up on her breakfast, her appetite ruined.

She glanced down the table to see his plate was still there and she frowned. _Bastard! First he makes me have feelings for him, now he can’t clean up after himself! Stupid Prince!_ Standing up, Bulma gathered the many plates from the table, carried them to the sink in the kitchen, and turned the water on. As she began to wash the dishes, she took a glance out the window at the GR, the flashing lights coming out in a quick and steady pace, indicating the high levels of the gravity being used. She scrubbed at one particular plate rather rough. _I hate this! Why is it so hard? It was never this hard with Yamcha! I could read him like a damn book, that kid was so predictable!_

As Bulma finished each plate, she threw them into the drainer with force, nearly breaking a few plates, but she didn’t care. _I hate men! I should just go lesbian! At least women have a little bit more consider—_ she snapped out of her thoughts by a few knocks at the front door. Her frown immediately turned into a scowl. _Who the hell is that! How dare they interrupt me! I’m thinking here!_ Wiping her hands dry with a kitchen towel, she made her way to the front door and opened it wide, determined to give this stranger a piece of her mind. Without taking a look at the person’s face, she opened her mouth to speak. “ _What!”_ she screeched.

The mysterious person chuckled and scratched the back of his head. “Having a bad day, babe?”

Blinking, Bulma lifted her eyes and met the amusement ones of Yamcha. Her tense form softened and she straightened her stance. “Oh, hey Yamcha…”

Yamcha chuckled. “A bit stressed?”

Bulma smirked sheepishly. “Maybe a little…” She let out a breath, leaned against the door, and eyed him. “So, what are you doing here?”

He shrugged, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his black leather jacket. “It’s a beautiful day; I had nothing to do, and thought that maybe you might want to hang out.” He shuffled from one foot to the other and it took Bulma a moment to realize they were still standing in the doorway. Again, she smiled, and stepped aside, inviting him in.

“Sure, just let me go change real quick,” she said as she shut the door. Yamcha nodded and sat on the couch, watching as she made her way to the steps until she disappeared from his line of sight.

He rubbed his sweaty hands on his pants, and then folded his arms across his chest. Even though they were broken up, he still had feelings for his ex. He still loved her and felt a small sadness that he allowed for her to slip through his hands, but now, it was nearly three months later since their break up, and he had already told her that if he couldn’t have her as a lover, he’d keep her as a friend. But in the back of his mind, he knew it wasn’t that easy. He still wanted to pursue her, to see if there was a chance they would ever get back together. They’ve broken up before plenty of times and always got back together. He didn’t see this any different. But he was going to tread lightly for her sake, unlike every other time.

Ten minutes flew past and Yamcha was flipping through a magazine that was on the coffee table; no doubt one of Bunny’s, until he felt a spike in a ki signature that he registered as Vegeta’s. Something was wrong… Yamcha stiffened when he heard a growl near the door and he lifted his head to see Vegeta’s tense form standing several feet away from him, his arms crossed, his lips peeled back in what looked like a snarl, and Yamcha gulped. _What the hell pissed him off?_

“Vegeta…?” He asked hesitantly.

“What the fuck are you doing _here_ , weakling!”

Yamcha winced, but stood and crossed his arms defensively. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I invited Bulma out.”

Vegeta scoffed. “Is that so?” He asked mockingly as he sized Yamcha up. Part of him didn’t believe that was all he was here for. Just a day out with a _friend_. No, that wasn’t how Yamcha was. Vegeta could always smell the many scents of women on him and immediately, it invoked a reaction of pure rage and disgust. Didn’t humans have any pride and respect? Apparently not! He knew that Yamcha wasn’t faithful, what he didn’t know was if Bulma knew about his indiscretions. He guessed no. But it was none of his business. Vegeta just found moments between them rather entertaining… But only a few.

Yamcha took a deep breath and began to count to ten in his head. He never liked Vegeta; he had his reasons. Yes, jealousy was one of them. He hated how much Bulma would _waste_ her time on him. He knew she thought about him often, but it was more than enough to make him both uncomfortable and jealous. He never understood why she took him into her home in the first place. It was something that baffled him and the day he showed up was the day their relationship began to crumble. So, yes, he blamed Vegeta one hundred percent. At first, he partially blamed himself for losing Bulma, but being taunted by Vegeta made Yamcha want to win her back even more.

Shaking his head, Yamcha sat back down on the couch, deciding to wait for Bulma and ignore the annoying Saiya-jin no Ouji before him. Vegeta raised a brow at his actions, then shrugged and walked off towards the stairs.

During this, Bulma was in her room messing with her hair. The weather outside was warm and sunny, and she hadn’t been in public in a while, so she wanted to look good. Not once did the possibility of Vegeta and Yamcha clashing. She figured that Vegeta would hole himself up in the simulator till dinner, which wasn’t for another few hours. They had just eaten lunch, so there was no reason for him to come into the compound.

Bulma winced when her door flew up, slamming against the opposite wall, and she turned to see Vegeta strut into her room. She sighed. Kami was really against her. Bulma turned away from him to face her vanity mirror to mess with her hair again. “What did you do?”

Vegeta stopped a few feet behind her and she had a clear view of him through the mirror.

He looked neutral.

That was odd…

“The weakling is in the living quarters, I demand he be removed from the property at once!”

Bulma rolled her eyes at his outburst. Of course. It was Yamcha. His face displayed no emotions, but the sound of his voice suggested he was perturbed. She knew they had their problems with each other, she just couldn’t understand why they did. It was one of the reasons why she ended her relationship with him.

“Don’t worry, Vegeta, he’s not staying long. We’re going out.”

“Out where?”

“I don’t know.”

“When will you be back?”

“I don’t know.”

“What about dinner?”

After putting her hair in a bun, Bulma flung her arms out exasperatedly. “I don’t know! For once, you worry about cooking tonight! It’s a nice day; I’m going out with a _friend!_ ” She yelled. “You should think about doing something similar. All you do is train, why not take a break and enjoy the sun?”

Vegeta scoffed and chuckled. “Sure, I’ll ignore my training, and then when the androids come, I’ll have them explain to you why they were able to defeat me as they kill you.” He said sarcastically.

Bulma cracked her neck and turned around to face him. “One day away from training won’t hurt. Come for a walk with us?” When all he did was stare emptily at her, she rolled her eyes. “Oh, I forgot, you two don’t like each other… Kami knows why…” She muttered sardonically.

Again, Bulma turned her back to Vegeta as she began to apply light makeup to her face and when she reached for her favorite perfume, Vegeta’s tanned hand stopped her. She turned her head to the side and noticed the proximity between her and Vegeta. At first, he was standing five feet behind her, now, he was more than a few inches from her. _What’s going on with him?_

She watched as he took the perfume bottle from her and raised it to his nose, then scrunched it up and sat it back down. Bulma’s eyes narrowed curiously. “What? You don’t like it?”

Her eyes widened as he leaned closer to her, his nose barely brushing against the outer shell of her ear. She could feel his hot breath against the nape of her neck and it sent chills down her spine. One moment, her mind was racing, but at his nearness, her mind went blank. She heard him inhale deeply and then he pulled away slowly.

“Don’t wear it again,” was all he said as he left the room.

Bulma opened her eyes and blinked.

_What the hell…?_

_oOo_

Bulma couldn’t make any sense out of Vegeta’s behavior. She stood in the same place for another five minutes in shock, before she remembered that Yamcha was waiting for her. His actions in her room just added to her theory that something was indeed bothering him, but she couldn’t approach him about it. She compared this situation to thin glass. It was fragile and could break at any moment if not handled correctly. So, she waited for the right time to approach him. She would treat him like that fragile piece of thin glass.

She was brought out of her thoughts by her name being called.

“Hey, Bulma…? Hello!”

Her head snapped up. “What?”

Yamcha chuckled. “Penny for your thoughts? You were pretty far away there.”

Bulma shook her head and smiled. She knew better than to bring her problems up about Vegeta with Yamcha. It would just create more problems. Instead, she fibbed. “I’m just a little stressed. I needed to get out.”

They were now walking in the park by the water. It was a clear day with hardly a cloud in the sky and the sun was creating glitter effects on the surface of the water. Yamcha could sense something else entirely was on Bulma’s mind.

Bulma pushed her issues to the furthest part of her mind and let out a long breath, trying to release the tension in her shoulders. It was a beautiful day, after all. Why should she let go to waste? She turned to Yamcha and smirked. “Thanks for getting me out of there.”

He nodded. “No problem! I figured someone as busy as you needed a day off every once in a while,” he said with a smile. Then he inhaled deeply before glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. “You know if you ever need someone to talk too…” He trailed off, leaving the offer open.

Bulma turned her head away and watched as the sun’s rays played over the water. “It’s not something you’ll want to hear. Don’t worry.”

Yamcha shook his head. “Alright… But just so you know, I’m here.” When all she did was nod, he frowned. “Why do you act so brave and tough?”

She snapped her head in his direction, her eyes widening. “Excuse me?”

He winced. “I didn’t mean it how it sounded!” He exclaimed defensively, holding his hands up.

“Then what _did_ you mean?”

“Just… Kami…” Yamcha rubbed the back of his neck and he walked a few paces a head of her before turning around. “I know how he’s making you feel! I can read it all over your face! Something is bothering you and I’m willing to bet my bottom dollar that it has _something_ if _everything_ to do with Vegeta!”

Bulma narrowed her eyes and muttered, “Are you willing to put your money where your mouth is?”

“I know I don’t have a lot of room to talk, babe, but I don’t like how he treats yo—“

Running her hands over her face and through her hair, Bulma interrupted him. “Yamcha! Just stop!” He quickly snapped his mouth shut. “This has absolutely _nothing_ to do with you! I can take care of myself.”

Yamcha nodded and his arms fell to his sides. “Alright.” He stepped next to her and placed an arm around her shoulders. “I’m sorry. I’m an ass…”

She stiffened somewhat at his gesture, but allowed it. “You’re not an ass… Well, you can be, but I know you’re doing this because you care.” She said slowly.

After that short squabble, they walked in silence, his arm still around her shoulders.

Throughout their walk, Yamcha couldn’t help but feel a bit of resentment towards Vegeta. That was a new feeling. When he first moved in, Yamcha just didn’t like the alien, but now, he could see changes in Bulma; he wasn’t sure whether that was good or bad, but he knew he resented Vegeta, because it was because of him that she was going through this. A part of Yamcha wanted Bulma to fawn over him like she use to, but it wasn’t like that anymore. He had to accept it.

He saw her moving on and it caused him to panic.

If he wanted things to progress between him and Bulma, he’d have to move fast.

_oOo_

Vegeta sat in the GR, fuming. He couldn’t understand why the onna left with that weakling. Humans had no sense of respect and dignity. He could still smell the lingering scent of women on the fool and it filled Vegeta with disgust. Yes, Vegeta had been with women before, but there was something called mates. And if he was correct, Yamcha was Bulma’s mate. In his culture, you _never_ turn your back on your mate. An unfaithful mate was shunned in his culture; many of them were killed for their behavior.

He shook his head and left the GR. He had wasted enough time thinking about the onna and what she was possibly doing. She had been on his mind _too_ often and something had to be done about it. Vegeta slammed the door shut to the kitchen and began to rummage through the fridge for a bottle of water. Shortly after Bulma left, he returned to his training only to have his mind wander to what was possibly going on between the two. But after that thought crossed his mind, he decided that it was none of his business; that he couldn’t care less what she did and who she did it with.

Yet, he was having trouble ignoring that small voice in the back of his mind that constantly whispered _liar._

Now, his mind was against him!

He slammed the door to the fridge shut and turned around, flipping the lid off the bottle, and began to chug its remnants. He nearly choked when he saw Bulma standing behind the island counter. When the hell did she get there?

_Why didn’t I sense her? Damn wench!_

She was just setting her keys down on the counter, avoiding his eye contact. The walk was almost relaxing. But nothing could chase her thoughts of Vegeta away. Not even Yamcha. Though he tried… after he brought it up. _Why must he be an idiot?_

She took a chanced glance at Vegeta and found him staring back at her. She felt nervous all over again. Knowing there was nothing she could do to talk to him; she turned and began to walk away, feeling Vegeta’s intense stare burn a hole in the back of her head.

Vegeta watched her walk away before turning his head away to finish his drink. Crushing the bottle in one hand, he tossed it into the trash and walked out of the compound towards the GR. He half expected Bulma to say something to him, but when she said nothing, he was surprised. What did he expect her to say anyway?

He really was wasting too much time thinking about her.

_oOo_

Nightfall came too quickly and dinner past uneventfully. Vegeta didn’t show. Bulma wasn’t entirely surprised. She sat alone at the table and ate while occasionally glancing towards the window in the kitchen to see the flashing lights from the GR. He was training way too hard. She knew he was determined, but there was a fine line between determination and suicide. She couldn’t help but be worried about his habits, but what could she do? Convince him to take it slow? That’s laughable!

She carried her empty plate to the sink and proceeded to put the leftovers away incase Vegeta came in demanding food. She wasn’t entirely in the mood to deal with his demanding nature. Her little walk with Yamcha took a lot out of her.

Clicking her tongue, Bulma decided that tonight, she wanted to be lazy. Walking to a keypad near the entrance of the kitchen, she called for a bot to come and clean the mess before leaving the kitchen to take a long shower. Upon reaching her bedroom, she immediately undressed, leaving a trail of clothes behind her as she made her way to her shower. She turned the knob on and climbed in, adjusting the temperature, and rested her hands on the tiles of the shower.

Yamcha gave her quite a bit to think about. Yes, Vegeta didn’t treat her with the kindness she deserved, but it was Vegeta. He was born a prince, raised a warrior—and evil—but she saw good in his heart. She didn’t care what others saw or thought. She knew he changed.

After allowing the water to run along her body for a short time, she reached for her strawberry shampoo and proceeded to wash her hair. There was a huge difference between Yamcha and Vegeta. Yamcha, though it still pained her to think about, was the past. She still couldn’t figure out what Vegeta was, but she didn’t mind finding out. In her mind, Vegeta was a challenge, a puzzle that she desperately wanted to piece together. She already knew everything about Yamcha, and after they dated for so long, society changed him, molded him into something she couldn’t even recognize anymore. Once upon a time, he was the Desert Bandit, a thief, a man filled with adventure and excitement. Now, he was just like everyone else. He wasn’t as exciting as before.

Bulma was the type of girl who yearned for that excitement in life, who needed the adventure. It was the sole reason why she became a scientist. Taking things apart just to figure out how they function was exciting, interesting, and there was so much in the world—the universe—that she had yet to learn. To say she became bored with Yamcha… it was part of it. He was an adventure she would never regret, but that adventure came to an end.

But Vegeta… Just thinking about him caused butterflies to flutter in her stomach.

Bulma finished her shower and began to dry off.

She had to get herself under control.

_oOo_

It was around midnight and Bulma was still awake. She waited in her room for the door to slam to the compound, and when it didn’t, she took a peek out of her balcony windows to see the GR lights were off. _That’s odd…_

Leaning against the wall, she glanced across the lawn, searching for his figure. _Maybe he’s training in the wild?_

Shrugging, Bulma left her room. After all the stress she had endured, she was in need of a good drink. Opening the fridge, she pushed aside that night’s dinner to grab herself a beer. It had been a while since she had one, the last time being the night she and Yamcha broke up. Cracking the bottle open, she took a cautious sip and walked outside. Tilting her head back, she watched as the stars twinkle and shown, each with their own brightness.

Something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye and she snapped her head in that direction, only to see Vegeta sitting in the grass Indian style, his hands resting on his thighs. She frowned and began to walk slowly towards him, before sitting behind him, setting her beer in the grass and wrapped her arms around her knees.

“Go away, onna. You’re distracting me from my training.”

She smiled. “Training? It looks like your just sitting to me,” she replied teasingly.

He scoffed and opened his previously closed eyes to glance back at her. “It’s called meditating, you imbecile. Now leave me be.” He looked straight and closed his eyes again.

Bulma sighed. “I thought you could’ve used some company, you looked lonely…” Again, her stomach began to tie in knots when she was reminded of his behavior. She eyed his tense form and before he could reply to her last statement, she added, “You’ve been acting rather strange, lately, Vegeta.”

His back stiffened. “How so?” He asked gruffly.

Swallowing, she took a breath. “You’re acting like something’s been bothering you…”

He chuckled darkly. “Don’t be foolish, onna, nothing bothers me… Except you and that infuriating woman you call a mother.”

From his tensed form, Bulma knew she was right, no matter how much he was going to deny what she was going to say.

“If I’m such a bothersome, how come you’re not acting like you normally would; arguing with me, yelling at me, calling me names…?” Then hesitantly, she whispered, “I’m worried about you, Vegeta.”

His eyes snapped open and he stared straight ahead. Worried? About _him_? Why? No one has ever cared what happened to him; sometimes he didn’t even care what happened to him. So, why did she? He didn’t reply to her. He didn’t know what to say. Something was bothering him, but he didn’t _need_ to talk about it, let alone with her. He wasn’t the talking type. He was able to get through this before by himself, now wasn’t any different.

Vegeta was hoping Bulma was going to give up when he didn’t say anything, but he should’ve known better. She was as stubborn as him and giving up wasn’t in her vocabulary.

“I’m here if you want to talk, you know…” She said softly, reassuringly.

Vegeta sighed and lifted a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose in agitation.

“Onna…” he said warningly, nearly growling.

Bulma nodded to herself. Fine. If he wasn’t going to talk, then she was going to sit here and be a constant to his presence.

When she stopped talking, he nearly relaxed, but the fact that she didn’t leave was what kept him tense. Instead, he tiled his head back and searched the sky for _that_ star. The star that constantly haunted him. When he finally found it, his eyes never wavered away from it. There it was shining bright with a glow so intense Vegeta could almost feel it in himself. When Bulma noticed his attention was elsewhere, she followed his line of sight to the sky, searching for what caught his attention so easily. She wasn’t able to find it, but Bulma had a good inkling at what he was looking for.

A star. Not any star… His home planet. Realization struck with a force and her eyes began to glisten with the wetness of unshed tears. She looked back at the man sitting before her and felt her heart ache for him. _What it must’ve been like for him… I can’t even imagine…_

She sat there and waited for him to speak. Bulma began to scoot closer to the prince until she was sitting right behind him. When he didn’t respond to her movement or tense up, she concluded that he was deep in thought. She sat there and waited another few minutes and when she was about to place a hand on his arm, his voice stopped her. “You humans know nothing of the horrors that take place out there…” he said quietly, so quietly that she had to lean forward just to listen. “Peace doesn’t exist.”

When he didn’t say anything after that, Bulma finally reached out and placed a hand on his arm. He stiffened under her touch and shook his head, shrugging her hand off. “Don’t presume you can touch me just because I allow you to be in my presence, onna!”

Bulma rolled her eyes. “You don’t have to always act tough.”

“What do you know? You don’t even know the things I’ve been through!” He bellowed and his lips peeled back in a snarl.

Bulma frowned. “Because you won’t even talk! You’re a hard shell that carries the weight of an entire race on your shoulders! It’s not a weakness to confide in someone, Vegeta.” When Vegeta opened his mouth to deny her statement, Bulma interrupted him, her voice fierce and determined. “You are a proud warrior prince of a strong race, Vegeta! You don’t have to keep telling me that, because I know! But you are all alone and that has got to be eating at you. I can see it! It will—“

“Onna, if you value your life, you will stop talking immediately.” He said calmly. When her mouth snapped shut against her will, he let out a breath, and then tilted his head back to stare at the star that was once his home planet. After a few minutes of silence, and without turning away from the star, he said, “This will be a one time opportunity and it will not be repeated again. If you interrupt, that’s it. Understand?”

Bulma’s eyes widened at the offer. Was he really going to open up to her? This _had_ to be a dream! She pinched herself as reassurance, only to feel the slight tingle of pain from the slight pinch in her arm. Finally she turned back to him and nodded. “Okay… No interruptions got it!”

Vegeta’s back straightened as he continued to stare at the star above. “Twenty-five years ago, to this day in your earth time, my home planet was destroyed… And for years, I was led to believe that a meteor was what destroyed my race.” His fists began to clench. Again, he was silent as he watched his home planets light twinkle in the night sky. Then he whispered, “I barely remember what it looks like now.”

So that was what was bothering him! Bulma glanced up at the sky, her heart breaking for the already broken prince.

_He must be homesick…_

She knew he wasn’t going to reveal much, but the fact that he even told her _this_ much was saying something! It didn’t bother Bulma anymore when he didn’t continue, but she saw how tightly clenched his fist was. She inched her way forward and placed her hand atop of his clenched one, rubbing it with her thumb gently, reassuringly. He flinched at the contact, but allowed it briefly. Then he pulled away and cleared his throat, his scowl returning to his face.

“Do not pity me, onna, I will not tolerate it!”

Then, he stood and stomped into the compound, leaving her out in the cool night air. Bulma couldn’t help but smile. _That_ was the Vegeta she knew. She glanced back at the sky and pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. She couldn’t even imagine what it would be like if Earth was destroyed. She had trouble even digesting the little information Vegeta provided her. All of his family was killed by a power-obsessed freak and he grew up believing otherwise. She knew there was more to what was bothering him than what he was letting on, but the fact that he opened up just a little was enough. Her stomach tied in knots again, but for entirely different reasons.

She didn’t return to the compound until the sun began to rise and the star disappeared from her sight.

_oOo_

_…TBC…_


	7. Chapter 6: Just Tonight

She sat in her lab, tapping her pencil on the edge of her desk, her head resting in the palm of her hand. Vegeta had been avoiding her since he _opened up_ to her that dark night. Bulma understood why, though. In his own way, Vegeta spilled his heart to her and that wounded his pride. She couldn't blame him. If she were in his shoes, she would hole herself up in her room until she was able to regain what little pride she had left, and then parade around like it didn't bother her. She knew that was probably what he was going to do.

Bulma leaned back in her chair and glanced off to the left toward the wall that hung her calendar. Her parents would be coming home tomorrow. Had two weeks really gone by so fast? She blew out a breath and threw her pencil on her desk. How could she work if her mind was elsewhere? It just wasn't possible.

Finally, she gave up on her work and left her lab. It was nearing dinner time and Bulma's stomach was beginning to make its emptiness known. She made her way into the kitchen to prepare dinner in hopes that the smell would lure out the brooding Saiya-jin. She gathered her ingredients and scattered them amongst the counter before pulling out the required utensils and got to work.

As she chopped away at the many vegetables, her mind wandered. She knew Vegeta had a hard life, but she didn't know the extensiveness of how hard his life really was. Purging planets, to her, sounded traumatizing, but she knew that after a while, Vegeta probably got use to it… maybe even enjoyed it. She figured it was because he lost his own planet…and maybe it was a way to get his aggression out. Who knows? All she could do was guess. From what she saw of Vegeta on Namek, she knew there was a very damaged man beneath his hard shell, but he would never show it. Yes, she knew he missed his home; just his little confession was all that she needed to know that he thought about it. It was only normal.

Bulma couldn't even imagine losing her planet and thinking about the android threat that loomed just over two years away caused her heart to beat rapidly. The boys warning still echoed in her mind. She didn't know much, just that strong beings made by an old doctor she couldn't place would attack in May… and from what she gathered, no one would survive.

Shaking her head to rid herself of those negative thoughts, Bulma turned back to her task at hand, chopping away at the variety of vegetables, and then placed them in a steamer. She glanced over her shoulder, out the window to see the flashing lights of the GR. She glanced back down at the food she was preparing and knew that it would take a bit of convincing to get Vegeta out of his hiding place, and she knew food usually did the trick.

After placing the steamer aside, Bulma turned to the raw meat. She wasn't a cook, her mother knew better about cooking than she did. She knew her food was mediocre compared to her mothers, but she wasn't given much choice since Bunny hadn't prepared any premade meals before she left. Bulma was almost looking forward to her mother's return so she wouldn't have to put up with cooking the meals. Science was her area of expertise, not cooking.

Opening a cabinet that held the spices, Bulma pulled out random ones, not paying attention to what she was grabbing and hoping that what she created would come out good. She was use to making breakfast and pasta… easy stuff that didn't require a lot of creating and adding. But tonight, she wanted to do something special for Vegeta, especially since her parents were returning tomorrow and things would eventually return to normal.

She took the slabs of meat and began to sprinkle the variety of spices over it, like she saw her mother do many times before, and rubbed it in. After repeating the process four more times, she placed the meats on several racks and threw them in the oven. Then she turned to the vegetables and began to tap her foot. _Damn… I shouldn't have made those so soon!_ Sighing, she pulled the vegetables out of the steamer; most of them still undercooked, and threw them in a container before placing them in the fridge. Before she left the kitchen, she set the timer on the oven, and then walked into the living room.

It was going to take at least two hours for the meat to cook and Bulma was going to use that time to relax.

_oOo_

After two hours passed, Bulma pulled the meat out of the oven and placed it on top of the stove. It looked perfect… surprisingly. She covered the pan with foil before pulling out the vegetables and placing them back in the steamer so they would cook the rest of the way. Then she turned around and opened a bottom cabinet near the pantry, searching for the potatoes. She got on her hands and knees, crawling into the small area, roughly pushing aside items in her search until she heard a dark chuckle from behind her, causing her to bump her head, screeching an "Ow!" in the process.

She pulled herself out to glare at Vegeta standing over her smugly, his arms crossed and a smirk on his face. "What the hell, Vegeta!"

He shook his head, stifling another chuckle. "It's not my fault you are so unaware of your surroundings, onna."

Bulma blinked at his relaxed stature. Maybe her theory was correct. He held himself up in his GR until he regained what little pride he felt he had lost…? She watched as he turned his body and walked over to the stove, sniffing the food there. She almost smiled when she saw how he _nearly_ closed his eyes at the aroma. It made her want to pat herself on the back for a job well done. Now, she just wanted to see his reaction when he actually _ate_ the feast.

"It's not done, yet." She said as she went back into the cabinet, resuming her search for the potatoes.

She heard him huff and could almost see his frown, which caused her to smile. "When will it be ready, then?" he almost demanded.

"About a half hour, maybe forty five minutes," she called out, her voice muffled from the walls of the cabinet. Finally, she spotted the bag in the back corner, hidden by a container of flour. She wanted to roll her eyes. _My mother and her baking…_ Pushing the flour aside, she pulled the huge bag of potatoes out of the cabinet, setting them by the sink, and then dusted herself off.

She stood straight only to come face to face with Vegeta. She flinched, and then raised a curious brow at his closeness.

"Wha—"

She was cut off when he took one more step closer, his eyes never wavering from hers, the look so intense that it made her want to shrink away. Was something on her face? The way he was staring at her was beginning to make her uncomfortable, and when she began to protest at his nearness, he took a step back, turned and left the kitchen, leaving Bulma completely dumbfounded.

"Well, that was weird." She muttered to herself.

The look he gave her was almost… searching.

Bulma shrugged. Trying to figure Vegeta out was near impossible. It was a challenge to just understand his facial expressions. But Bulma loved challenges and she was willing to rise to this one. She looked down at the bag of potatoes and lifted them to the counter and began to peel them. She looked up from her task when Vegeta walked by, completely ignoring her, as he made his way towards the grand staircase. She watched until he was gone from her sight, which was just past the wall near the island counter. She knew what he was doing and if that was how it was going to be, and then she could play along as well. Though forgetting about that night wasn't going to happen, she could pretend that it didn't. She knew he was stubborn, but she could be just as stubborn… If not more.

_oOo_

Vegeta made his way to his bedroom. The moment he closed the door, he rid himself of his spandex shorts, throwing them in the hamper in the corner of the room, and headed for the shower. After a day of vigorous training, he was in desperate need of it. He turned the shower on full blast, the water scalding hot, and he climbed in, his tense muscles instantly being soothed by the warmth of the water. He stood under the spray as he thought back to when he admitted that he still thought about his home. The moment the words began to escape his mouth, regret filled him.

He never opened up to anyone before, not even a little, and the fact that he did just that, to the onna of all people, made him scold himself and hole himself up in the GR ever since. It wounded his pride and he wanted to blame _her._ She bewitched him. That was it. Plain and simple. He wouldn't have opened his mouth if she hadn't casted some sort of spell on him.

Vegeta leaned his head back as the water cascaded down his body. As the days continued to pass, he found that it was becoming increasingly difficult to get the onna out of his head. He knew that in some… disturbing way that he was attracted to her, but would he ever admit to it? Hell no! Just because he found her physically attractive shouldn't cause him distraction to the one thing he cared for most and knew best. Training.

The distraction was becoming so difficult to handle that he was beginning to consider an escape.

After allowing the water to soothe his aching muscles, he took the bar of soap and began to scrub vigorously at his body. Cleanliness was high up on his list, though there were exceptions, such as battles and training, but he could only handle so much filth.

Finally, after twenty minutes, Vegeta stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel while simultaneously raising his ki to dry himself off faster. He wrapped the towel around his waist and stepped into his bedroom to change. He rummaged through his dresser for a pair of baggy gray pajama pants, a pair he hardly ever wore, and threw them on along with a black tank top. As soon as he was dressed, he left his room. As he descended the stairs the aroma of cooked meat wafted its way into his senses.

Once he entered the dining room, he abruptly stopped, his eyes taking in the enormous feast that was set about the table. His eyes roamed hungrily over the five roasts in the center. His mouth began to water as he took in his next victim. Vegeta took his seat and looked around for the onna, then turned back to the food in front of him. When he went to reach for a roast, he stopped himself, and then blinked at his action. Why was he stopping himself? He didn't have to wait for her! She was the one serving him, for Kami's sake! No Prince awaited a servant!

Frowning, he took another look about the room, and then decided it was best to sense her weak ki out. Finally, he was able to pinpoint her slowly making her way to the dining room. _About time._ He began piling food onto his plate when she finally made her appearance and sat down next to him.

When she sat down, he expected her to open her mouth and talk, but when she didn't, he paused his meal for half a second in shock, then continued as if he wasn't surprised… though he was. He had been acting as though confessing to her didn't bother him at all, but in actuality, it did. Vegeta was a very secretive man, and he was raised to deal with his problems on his own. And dealing with them was either fight against them, or completely ignore them. It was a warrior's way. You didn't console in another. It was considered weak. And he certainly wasn't _weak_.

They both ate their meal in silence, Vegeta occasionally taking sly glances to the onna next to him. Throughout the entire meal, she never once acknowledged his presence and he wasn't sure if he was pleased or annoyed. Why wasn't she saying anything? He figured she was going to bring up that night and demand to know more, but she didn't. Was she ill? He chewed his food roughly, deep in thought. Normally, when he said something he regretted the next day, she would rub it in his face every chance she got. So, why wasn't she doing that?

Finished with one roast, he stabbed the next one with his long knife and dropped it onto his plate and dug in. Usually, he ate fast so he could return to his training, but tonight, he was savoring this meal. It was rare when Bulma cooked something good. However, he still ate much faster than her. When he bit into a large piece, Bulma glanced up at him and grimaced.

"Eh… You eat like a pig!"

Vegeta closed his eyes in annoyance. So much for the quiet meal… He turned his head to glare at her, then took a rather large piece of meat and shoved it in his mouth and chewed, watching as her face twisted with disgust and anger. He almost smirked. Pissing her off was one of the few things on this planet that entertained him, and when he was given the opportunity to do it, he didn't pass it up.

Rolling her eyes, Bulma picked her plate up and left the table, then the compound, leaving Vegeta to eat by himself. He watched as she walked through the side door, his eyes narrowing. Where was she going? He glanced at the table, then shrugged and continued to eat.

He'd rather eat by himself anyway.

_oOo_

She knew Vegeta would be pissed, but did she care? No! After watching his extensive training, she knew that he kicked the gravity up higher and it concerned her. When he finished his meal, he left the compound, only to find Bulma in the GR with pieces of the console scattered around her. The growl that emitted from his chest should've scared her, but it was something she grew use to.

" _Onna! Get out!" Vegeta screamed, his voice echoing off the metal walls of the simulator._

_Bulma rolled her eyes as she glanced at him over her shoulders, and then turned her attention back to the console. "No, Vegeta! You've been working this thing to death, it needs maintenance!"_

_He growled. "Then do it tomorrow! I must resume my training!"_

" _No can do, bud! I've got to run a few tests to make sure everything is up and running appropriately," she said as she opened her laptop and began typing away. "You're going to have to put training off for the night."_

_She could almost feel the rage perforating from him. Still, she didn't care. He trained way too much for her liking. Yes, she installed her near indestructible upgrade, but that didn't mean that nothing could break it. Overloads were bound to happen. She only installed that one upgrade to prevent the GR from overloading, but that didn't mean the gravitron itself could break. Bulma liked to be thorough in her work. What was that saying again? Better safe than sorry? Yeah, that was it!_

" _I demand you leave at once! I have no patience for this!"_

_Sighing, Bulma turned to regard his stance. He was angry all right. She was surprised he hadn't expanded his ki and blasted her from the GR yet. He definitely had self-control and she admired him for it. She spoke slowly. "If you didn't hear me the first time, then I will repeat myself once more." Her eyes met his angry ones. "You're been training nonstop and I haven't done any tests to the GR in over a month to make sure it's running safely. So, if you want a simulator to train in by morning, I suggest you GET THE HELL OUT!"_

To say he took her threat lightly would be a lie but after a long battle, he left. Bulma knew the man loved to train, but this was just too much and the simulator could only take so much stress before a meltdown would occur. And she refused to build an entirely new simulator just because he didn't know when to give himself a break! Ugh… men.

After he stomped off towards his room, Bulma turned to back to her work. Secretively, there was nothing wrong with the simulator. She just wanted him to take a night off, but to make it convincing, she brought out her equipment just to run the tests anyway. Every since their talk, she knew he was beating himself up mentally _and_ physically. That was something she would not allow. Everyone needed a break, even the ruthless Saiya-jin Prince.

Bulma worked for the next two hours, and then she took several wires and attached them to the computer of the simulator and pressed Enter on her laptop. She watched as her final test ran and then began to piece the console back together once it was finished. So far, everything was in working order and with the way he was training, she was hoping it would stay that way.

She gathered her belongings and locked the GR up for the night before making her way back into the compound. It was well after dark and if Vegeta wasn't training in the simulator, he'd use his time to train lightly in his room. After putting her things away, she wanted to check on him. Apologizing wasn't her forte, but he knew just how to press her buttons. By now, she should know better than to allow him to get to her.

Bulma chuckled inwardly.

No matter what happened, Vegeta was a stubborn being and loved to get his way. He was royalty after all. And it would always bother her to some degree, but she also found it extremely amusing. Here, he was out of his element and seeing him flustered and unable to get the things he wanted always entertained her… almost too much.

In a way, he reminded Bulma of herself…

_WHAT! Bulma, get yourself together!_

She shook her head as she made her way down the hall towards his door. Lately, she was letting her thoughts run away with her feelings and that was never a good thing. Bulma was a rational person and also tried to think the most logical way, even though she could come off stubborn and hotheaded. But there was no way Vegeta was _anything_ like her!

Bulma scoffed and nodded. _Damn right! I'm way more intelligent than that good for nothing stubborn, royal pain in the ass..._ She continued her rant in her head as she raised her hand and knocked lightly on his door. Her thoughts halted and turned when it swung open to reveal his chiseled chest covered in a light sheen of sweat, his spandex shorts riding low on his hips revealing the low v of his abdomen. _Sexy jerk…_ Her eyes traveled upwards slowly as she took in each rippled muscle until she came to his eyes. He looked smug.

She was almost drooling at the sight of him and was immediately reminded of how long it had been since she had sex. Frustration radiated from her like heat radiating from a fire, but she kept herself in check, though inside she wanted to pounce him like a wild animal. What happened to her rational mind?

Vegeta cocked an amused eyebrow as he watched her hungry eyes take in his half naked body and he could smell her arousal. It was a potent scent. When her eyes finally met his, he could see the beginnings of a blush. He waited for her to speak, but she seemed speechless. Well… He couldn't really blame her, now could he?

When he cleared his throat, Bulma blushed brightly. "I just wanted to tell you that I finished the tests early if you'd like to train, but you need to take it easy for the night." She said in a rush, her embarrassment almost unbearable to handle. When he smirked, confusion reached her eyes. What was he smirking about, the bastard?

With what seemed like eternity, Bulma took a breath, turned, and left his sight quickly. She couldn't handle looking at him when he was acting like that. So proud of the way he held himself.

As she walked away, she could feel eyes on her, but she didn't turn around. Instead, she walked straight into her bedroom and shut the door. She leaned against it and blew out a breath. She knew Vegeta was a very attractive being, but up close, he took her breath away and she couldn't think straight.

If she didn't have relief soon, she was going to implode!

_oOo_

It was nearing midnight when she went to her balcony window and saw the simulator was shutting down.

Bulma smiled. _Good._ He listened.

Ever since she left his doorway, she tried to fall asleep, but it didn't help at all. So, she began tossing and turning in her bed. Her frustration was surfacing and becoming a pain. She could deal with it her own way, but it wasn't entirely satisfying. So, instead of reaching towards the drawer that held the object that could release some of the tension, she paced. When pacing didn't help, she showered. When showering didn't help, she threw open her balcony windows to let the cold night air cool off her heated skin. That helped to a degree, but the burning ache that settled in the pit of her stomach wasn't going away.

Down the hall, she heard Vegeta's door close, indicating he was heading to bed. Bulma made her way to her own bedroom door and cracked it open to peer into the hallway. Nothing. She looked back to her bed, then to the hallway, towards his door, and then shook her head, resting it against the panel of the door. She needed a distraction. Maybe a movie would be good?

Turning back to her bed, Bulma grabbed her pillow and left her room, only to pause outside of his door. She leaned in close trying to hear any movement from the room, but heard nothing. Maybe he was already in bed… She looked ahead towards the stairs, then back at the door, trying to decide the best decision. She knew it wouldn't be wise to barge into his room while she was sexually frustrated. Hell, she knew it wasn't wise to barge into his room, period. Finally, she made her decision.

A movie would have to do.

Unbeknownst to her, Vegeta leaned against the wall near the door as he listened to her retreating footsteps. The moment she approached his door, he could smell her unique scent. He knew she was in need of a good lay. He was too. The last time he had ever been with a woman was when he was on Freiza's ship, and the encounter he had with Bulma not so long ago left him extremely unsatisfied. He wanted to finish what they had started.

But he refused to go to her.

She would have to be the one to come to him.

_oOo_

Bulma shifted along the couch for the umpteenth time. To say she was uncomfortable was an understatement. The last time she was this frustrated was when she refused to have sex with Yamcha as punishment when he forgot her birthday once. That lasted a whole month until she finally caved. But in her defense, she was also extremely stressed that month.

She was only half way through the movie when she finally gave up and turned it off. Nothing was helping. She gathered her pillow and left the living room, heading in the direction of her bedroom. After climbing the stairs, she turned the corner of the corridor and stopped. Again, she'd have to pass Vegeta's door, and the temptation to enter was strong. She stood still for several long minutes to gather enough strength before continuing, only to stop again once she reached his door.

Weird… It was ajar.

The only time it was ever left open was when he wasn't in there, but it was never left cracked opened. Ignoring the small voice of reason, she peered through the crack only to find darkness. Was he even in there? Was he asleep? Turning, she walked to the small window to gaze out over the yard towards the simulator. From this angle, she couldn't tell if it was being used or not. Didn't he go to bed?

She looked over her shoulder towards the door again and finally gave in as she dropped her pillow. Rational thought was thrown from her mind the moment she entered his room. A small voice whispered it was wrong, but she ignored it completely. Bulma was only one step into the room when she saw that his bed was completely empty. It didn't even look like someone had laid in it.

Huh… weird.

She walked further into the room and examined her surroundings. When he first moved in, she gave him the choice of any guest room they had available and he chose the one that had less furniture; a bed, a dresser, a closet, and a desk. It surprised her. She expected him to demand her to move her things from her room so he could have it, but when he didn't; to say she was shocked was an understatement. But she didn't complain.

He never changed a thing either. How could he, though? When Vegeta came to live with her, he didn't have many belongings with him that she saw. Just the clothes on his back and a few other essentials that he refused to share with her. But she understood his behavior when she asked. They were his possessions, probably the only things he had left from his home planet and he didn't trust anyone near them. He was protective of _his_ things.

When Bulma was in the middle of the room, she could hear the sound of running water and assumed he was in the shower. When the water suddenly stopped, rationally thought kicked in. _What the fuck am I doing here!_ Just as she was about to turn and run to her room, the bathroom door opened and out walked Vegeta in nothing but a white towel. Her face flushed red with embarrassment at being caught in his room, but it was replaced with surprise, then shock when he brushed past her without giving her a second glance.

Why wasn't he screaming at her to get out?

She watched as he went to the door and closed it, and then turned to her, his lean body resting against the wall. They stood that way, staring each other down, neither speaking. Bulma felt that if she spoke, the tension in the air would explode and she wouldn't survive it.

It was he that broke the silence.

"What are you doing in my private chambers, onna?" he asked, his voice husky and low. Just the sound of it nearly made Bulma moan, her arousal, no doubt, present to him.

"I just wanted to make sure you were all right…" she replied, her voice surprisingly calm.

Vegeta cocked a brow and smirked before advancing towards her slowly. "Is that so?"

Bulma began to back away from him, her reply dying on her lips as her back made contact with the desk behind her. Great… She turned her head to regard the offending inanimate object before turning her attention to the still advancing Saiya-jin, her breathing becoming rapid just from the sight of his predatorily walk. And she was the prey.

He stopped just a foot from her, his smirk never leaving his features as his eyes traveled down slowly, then back up again. The way he was looking at her made her feel naked. A blush filled her cheeks and even though it was dark in the room, she was sure he could see it. The silence was almost deafening, but she didn't know what to say. A part of her wanted to run from the room and lock herself away for a month, but the other part of her—the irrational part—was excited.

 _Why leave?_ It whispered. _You've been complaining for relief! Here's your chance!_

Bulma tried her best to ignore it, but she couldn't deny the truth. She wanted relief and she was curious what it would be like to be _physically_ involved with Vegeta. She was able to receive a small taste of what it would be like, but reality kicked in and she ran. Now that he was standing in front of her, only clad in a white towel and with water remnants left on his chest, rationality didn't exist.

Neither spoke. He could smell her desire, but he could also sense her inner struggle, and he, himself, was becoming frustrated with the lingering silence. But he refused to make the first move. So, he waited. However, if it happened, he'd be damned if he'd let her leave like last time without finishing what they started. It just wasn't going to happen again.

After what seemed like forever, Bulma stepped forward and brushed her lips softly against his before stepping back to gain a reaction. Vegeta growled and grabbed her hips, pulling her forward before lowering his lips to hers hungrily, his tongue demanding access. Bulma's eyes widened, then slowly, they closed as she moaned, her hands finding purchase on his shoulders, her nails digging into his skin.

His hands traveled from her hips to her buttocks down to her thighs, squeezing them and kneading them, before lifting her off the ground, making her wrap her legs around his waist. He pushed her up against the wall with a grunt, one of his hands leaving her thighs to travel up over her curves to brush the underside of her still clothed breast. Bulma broke the contact and leaned her head back against the wall, a low moan escaping her throat as his hand continued to explore her plump flesh. Her hands traveled from his shoulders to his hair, gripping it as he continued his exploration of her body.

Before she knew it, she was thrown on the bed with Vegeta looming over her, her shirt discarded on the floor. When did that happen? She didn't care. Thinking wasn't a priority for her. She looked down, trying to recall when her shirt left her body, but she couldn't place when. His hands came into her view as they traveled from her stomach to her shorts, the button being pushed through the hole and the zipper sliding down.

Her heart began to beat even faster. Why did she feel nervous all of a sudden?

Bulma lifted her hips when she felt him tugging at her shorts and soon, they too were discarded to the floor. The cool air made contact with her skin, but that wasn't why she shivered. Vegeta hovered over her body, his legs straddling hers and he took in her near naked form. Finally, gaining some confidence, Bulma placed her hands on his chest and pushed him onto the bed before standing to strip the rest of the way. She turned her body to unclasp her bra, the straps falling down her shoulders, and she threw it in the corner, her arms covering her breasts from his sight in a teasing manner.

He smirked and yanked her onto the bed, and she fell with a squeak.

Vegeta crawled on top of her slowly, and then knelt, his knees straddling her lower body. She watched as he untied the white towel from his waist and threw it over the side of the bed, a blush rising to her cheeks. The only barrier that now rested between them was her orange bikini-style underwear.

He lowered his body onto hers and his hands immediately went to the last remaining barrier that separated them from their goal. He hesitated, and her eyes met his. They lay like that for several seconds, and then she felt his warm hands on her hips as they grasped the underwear and ripped them from her body, the shreds falling to the floor with the rest of the clothing. Now nothing stood in their way.

Bulma moaned as the cool air made contact with the heated flesh between her legs, and she gasped out loud when Vegeta took in an erect nipple, his suckling loud and rough. Her hands threaded their way through his hair, and she pulled on it as she groaned at his attention to her body, his hands kneading the other neglected breast.

She nearly cried out when his ministrations stopped and soon, he was completely hovering over her, his eyes making contact with hers.

"This means absolutely nothing," he whispered huskily, his voice deep and heavy. "It's just sex."

When she didn't answer, he began to lift his weight off her, only to be brought back down by the yank of her hands. She lifted her head and kissed him, her tongue licking along his bottom lip, her hands framing his face. Just as fast as the kiss began, she pulled away just as quickly, her eyes meeting his dark ones.

Vegeta lowered his body completely, his weight settling on her, his mouth trailing light nibbles along the length of her neck towards her collarbone. Bulma sighed and closed her eyes, her head tilting backwards to give him better access, her hands traveling along the length of his back. She turned her head towards him to capture his lips as her hands continued their exploration of his toned body, one of them curving towards the front, traveling along his stomach, making the muscles jump from her light touch. Her hand continued to trail downward, but was stopped when he caught her wrist, his mouth wrenching away from hers.

He placed both her hands above her head, imprisoning them with the weight of his arm as his other hand traveled from her breast to her stomach and down to her most intimate place. She took in a breath when she felt his fingers dance lightly across her soft flesh, then gasped when they brushed along her clit. Her hips bucked when he continued to rub against it and she cried out with pleasure. He moved his finger away and she let out a frustrated breath and glared at him.

Then, suddenly, he was over her, the tip of his manhood just barely brushing against her entrance. Instinct caused her legs to spread wider and her eyes widened when he thrust himself in her without warning. He groaned and paused for a split second at the contracting muscles he met when he entered her body, then he began to move. Her breathing picked up at the rough and fast pace he set, but she quickly fell into the rhythm. He let go her arms and felt her hands immediately clasp onto his shoulders, her nails digging into his skin, nearly drawing blood.

Moans and cries of passion filled the dark room, the bed squeaking with the force of his thrusts, the headboard continually making contact with the wall. He growled when he felt her muscles clamped down on him in her release, her face buried in the crook of his shoulder to muffle her scream. He soon followed after when he felt her legs lift causing him to shift the angle of his thrusts.

They laid together for several minutes trying to catch their breaths.

Bulma lifted her head when she felt his entire weight lift off her and watched as he rolled onto his back. She let out a long sigh, her eye lids suddenly feeling heavy. He turned his head to regard her, only to see that she had fallen asleep. He rested his head back on the pillow, his arms cradling his head as he stared at the ceiling. He'd let her rest for a bit, but then, she'd have to go. She fulfilled her purpose. He felt immensely better, the intense weight he had been carrying was lifted, and he could breathe again.

Glancing back at her, Vegeta watched as her chest rose and fell with each breath that she took. He told her that this meant nothing and he meant it. But he only hoped that she actually listened. It wasn't his fault if she took something from this when he didn't.

Only tomorrow would tell.

_oOo_

… _TBC…_


	8. Chapter 7: Unexpected

Bulma moaned and turned over in bed, the sheets tangling with her movement. The rays of the sun was streaming in through the window above the headboard of her bed and shining directly onto her, causing her to stir from her deep sleep. Wait… _Her_ bed? She raised her head from where it lay on the pillow and scoped around the room. She was definitely in her bed. Didn’t she fall asleep in _Vegeta’s_ bed last night? Or had it been a dream?

No, it wasn’t a dream; it couldn’t have been a dream!

She flung the sheets from her body and saw that she was, in fact, naked. Well, if she was nude then why was she in _her_ bed of all places and not snuggled up with Vegeta…? This was not how she expected things to go. Bulma sat up and ran a hand through her messy hair. How was she supposed to take this?

The moment she swung her legs off the bed, the soreness between her thighs intensified and caused her to catch her breath. Bulma carefully climbed to her feet and decided that a nice hot bath would soothe her soreness. Then she’d deal with Vegeta. She approached her bathroom and began to fill her tub with steamy hot water and climbed in. She sighed as the ache between her legs slowly faded away as she soaked her body. Bulma laid her head back against the edge of the tub as she replayed last nights events and what might’ve went wrong for her to end up in her bed the next morning.

_I don’t understand…_

From what she could remember, nothing went wrong. She knew they were both immensely satisfied and the last thing she recalled was falling asleep, curled up against Vegeta’s side. So why was she in her room? _It has to have something to do with him!_ To say she felt hurt was an understatement. After giving him her body and waking up in her room the next day, Bulma felt thrown to the side like a measly piece of garbage.

 _This is just sex…_ His words repeated in her head, but she didn’t want to believe them. She refused to acknowledge that what they just had was only sex and nothing else. Bulma _felt_ something while with him; it was something she had never felt while with Yamcha. And now that she was alone in her bathroom, it brought tears to her eyes. Was she not desirable enough?

 _No!_ Bulma’s mind screamed. _If I weren’t desirable, then last night would’ve never happened!_

She refused to be thrown away.

There was a logical explanation for this.

She’d find out.

However, the moment she shifted to stand from the tub, the soreness between her legs reminded her why she was taking a bath in the first place. Bulma settled back in the warm water and calmed her thoughts. What was it that her father taught her? _Always_ _have a plan. Follow it step by step and victory will be in your grasp._ She chuckled at the memory of her father repeating those words to her when she was a small child, his lab coat draped over her shoulders, engulfing her body. Even as a child, she always admired her father and wanted to follow in his footsteps.

After soaking for nearly an hour, Bulma lifted herself carefully from the cooling water and began to drain the tub. She turned and grabbed a towel to dry off with, then wrapped it about her body before leaving the bathroom altogether in search for some clean clothes. Once dressed, she left her room, her march determined as her earlier thoughts began to drift back to her. Immediately, Bulma wanted to search out Vegeta, but as her father’s word replayed themselves, she changed directions and headed for the kitchen.

She paused as she passed a nearby window and did a double take at what was out on the lawn. A few boxes were scattered across the yard in front of the simulator and immediately a red flag rose in Bulma’s head. What was going on? Instead of heading directly for the kitchen, she passed it and left the compound, bee-lining for the GR as if her life depended on it. She had a bad feeling and from the looks of it… Bulma couldn’t even handle the thought.

Coming up on the simulator she walked in, expecting to see Vegeta, but he wasn’t there. Well, if he wasn’t there then why were there boxes laid out like someone was moving? A heavy unsettling feeling came over Bulma as she turned from GR and walked back into the compound. Was he leaving? This didn’t make any sense!

Losing her appetite, she passed the kitchen once again and found herself in front of her father’s office. Her parents came back early that morning and if anyone knew anything about the boxes being out front, it would be her father. She knocked twice on the door lightly and waited till Dr. Briefs opened the door and smiled crookedly at his daughter.

“Hi, Daddy. How was your trip?” Bulma asked in a daze, her thoughts elsewhere.

Noting this, he chuckled, but still replied. “It was lovely, dear. Exceptionally beautiful.” He gestured for her to enter his office and she did so slowly, her arms wrapping themselves around her waist in an almost protective manner. “What’s troubling you, Bulma? You seem on edge.” Dr. Briefs questioned concerning as he closed the door behind them.

Bulma raised her head, tears threatening to surface, for she felt she already knew the answer to her question, but she held them back and brought forth a calming expression to her face. “Is Vegeta leaving? I saw boxes in front of the simulator.”

Dr. Briefs eyed his daughter, noting her slouched posture, but didn’t say anything about it. He nodded hesitantly. “He is. He came to me early this morning demanding a ship, but I told him that the Gravity Room was already a ship. I offered to make him a new one, but he refused. He seemed in a hurry…” He watched Bulma nod at his statement and saw her face crumble, her eyes beginning to wet with unshed tears, but as quickly as they came, they disappeared and her face hardened. Dr. Briefs decided to leave out the part that Vegeta didn’t want Bulma knowing.

“Well, if he needs a ship, he should’ve come to me, I would’ve been glad to get rid of him!” She yelled, then turned and stomped out of the room.

Dr. Briefs stood there, and then chuckled at her outburst. He knew the moment he and Bunny left for their trip that something would happen between the two stubborn beings, and from what he saw from her display, something indeed had happened while they were gone. But to what extent, he did not know. However, he had a good guess.

It seemed to him that his daughter was falling for the troublesome alien.

He sighed.

Now he owed Bunny fifteen hundred yen.

He knew better than to make a bet against his wife.

_oOo_

Vegeta brought out the final box from his room. He wasn’t bringing everything, just essentials and the few things he had with him when he came to Earth. He placed the box in the simulator and walked out, giving the giant compound one more glance. To say he was relieved to be leaving was an understatement. He relished it. After last night, Vegeta knew that training in outer space was exactly what he needed and being _here_ only distracted him.

 _She_ was distracting him and he couldn’t allow it any more.

Though last night was very satisfying, Vegeta knew that if he stuck around, their tryst would only continue, which would result in him becoming even more distracted from his training. Since he was a child he was taught that training always came first. To be the strongest was to be the best and to be the best, one must train day in and day out. No exceptions. He also knew that if their sexual escapade continued, she would more than likely become attached and Vegeta couldn’t have that. He already had trouble tolerating her; he couldn’t even imagine how things would be if the situation were to change.

Vegeta turned back to the simulator, deciding that now was the best time to leave than ever. He was trying to move fast in an attempt to avoid the wench, but he winced and stopped all movements when he heard his name screamed from across the lawn. Turning back, Vegeta saw Bulma stomping towards him, fire in her eyes. _Damn that blasted woman._ How in hell did she find out? Thinking back to earlier that morning, he frowned. Of course. Her wretched father had to go and blabber to the one person he didn’t want to know about his departure until _after_ he left. Apparently the old man couldn’t be trusted like Vegeta had assumed.

He folded his arms as he watched the angry onna approach him. What could she possibly want now?

Bulma stopped several feet away from him and he could clearly see the wetness outlining the rim of her eyes. He scoffed at her display of emotion. “Why didn’t you come to me for a ship? I would’ve been glad to see you leave!” She yelled as she tried to fight back the betrayal and hurt she was beginning to feel. A part of her knew she was being irrational and that they had no attachments towards each other, but after she had spent the night with him, she couldn’t deny her feelings any longer. And it shamed her for falling apart in front of the one being who caused those feelings; whom didn’t return them at all.

Vegeta rolled his eyes. “Please, I’m just as happy to be leaving this backwater of a planet. There was no need to go to you for a ship when I had already acquired one!”

Her fists clenched at his words and she took them as he was happy he was leaving _her_ and she knew that he probably was. It hurt just the same. Bulma took a breath and glared at him. “How long do you plan on being gone? Or are you leaving forever?”

He frowned at the quiver behind her voice. She was becoming too emotional for his liking. “About five months, not that it’s any of your business,” Vegeta replied coldly.

Bulma unleashed, the tears becoming ever more present. “ _Of course it’s my business!_ ” She screamed; her face nearly red as she fought back the tears from falling. “ _That’s my fucking ship you’re taking off with!_ ”

Vegeta winced as her high pitched wails assaulted his sensitive hearing and he stepped forward, cutting off her next sentence. His glare was frigid and it caused Bulma to take a step back, her mouth immediately snapping shut. Her rational brain was screaming at her that she was being ridiculous, that she should just allow the man to leave, but her heart fought back with a vengeance, silencing the voice that screamed in the back of her mind.

“Get a hold of yourself, onna.” Vegeta began, his voice steady and bitter. “I told you it meant nothing.”

Bulma swallowed hard and bit her tongue. Her hands were shaking and she fisted them to stop the trembles. He was right, she knew that. But it only meant nothing to _him_. She blamed it on her heart. It always got away from her and she couldn’t control it like he could. So, instead of arguing with him, she simply nodded and stared hard into his eyes, before she slowly backed away, silently telling him she gave up.

To his surprise, she said nothing. But what could she say? Bulma had just as much pride as Vegeta did, and she just wounded it all on her own by giving into her emotions so freely. However, it bothered her that he was leaving and they were parting on such terms. But, then again, what could she say?

Instead, she thought, what would Vegeta say?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Bulma wiped her eyes dry subtly, trying to regain some of her dignity. She then lifted her head and folded her arms, acting as if their argument meant nothing to her. Their eyes met and she watched as he turned and closed the door behind him. Then, Bulma watched as the simulator began to power up and ready for take-off. She stepped further back until she decided to turn completely and head inside.

She’d pretend that him leaving didn’t bother her, but inside, her heart was breaking.

Bulma let out a shaky breath and closed her eyes when she heard the simulator blast off, with Vegeta inside.

_oOo_

He watched as the blue planet got smaller and smaller as the domed ship drifted further away. Relief filled Vegeta instantly. He turned away from the small window and engaged the gravity to continue his training. It was harder than it should have been to leave and Bulma only made it worse. He knew that bedding her wasn’t the best of ideas and he vowed that when he returned, it would never happen again.

Vegeta fell to the floor once the gravity was initiated, and his pushups began. He knew where he was heading, and it would take nearly two months just to get there. A nice abandoned planet was what the prince needed. A place with no inhabitants, where he could train in peace.

He pushed Bulma to the furthest part of his mind and focused on his ascension. He still couldn’t fathom how a third class idiot was able to ascend before he was able to! What was his secret? Just thinking about _him_ caused Vegeta’s blood to boil and he rose from his position and punched at the air, sweat already building around his neck.

Growling, Vegeta imagined Goku standing before him with that goofy smirk on his face. He aimed his punch for Goku’s head, then switched tactics and began to use ki blasts.

He trained till he passed out from exhaustion.

_oOo_

One month passed since Vegeta left the planet. One long month while Bulma locked herself away in her lab, working on her latest project. Shortly after Vegeta left, Bulma headed straight for her father’s office and nearly demanded to be given some work. It was then she found her arms piled with blueprints for their newest virtual reality simulator. Her eyes had widened at the many prints she held, several of them falling to her feet, and she looked up at her father, suddenly overwhelmed with her future work. But she didn’t complain. Bulma needed it. She wanted something to rid her mind of Vegeta.

So, for the last month, Dr. Briefs had been in and out of Bulma’s private lab as they edited and sketched the new simulator for the government. And occasionally, when she stepped away from her overloaded desk, Vegeta would flood her mind, causing Bulma to shed a few tears.

She made sure to only leave her lab when absolutely necessary.

Her parents knew something had happened between the two. A week after Vegeta left, Bunny approached her daughter right before dinner about her behavior. And being Bunny, she blatantly asked if they had slept together only to watch as Bulma turned redder than a tomato, sputter off some violent response, and stomp away. She barely heard her mother giggle with amusement at her outburst.

So, avoiding Vegeta plaguing her mind wasn’t the only thing she was doing. She was also avoiding her parents as much as possible.

Now, Bulma had her head cradled in her hands as she stared at the many equations and lines that marked the paper before her. She huffed and sat her pencil down before rolling the long sheet up and putting it away. It was close to dinner and Bulma dreaded eating with her mother.

_I’ll just eat in the lab._

As she left her lab, Bulma felt a turning sensation in her stomach and nausea crept its way through her system. She groaned and leaned against the wall as a wave of dizziness hit her and immediately, she threw a hand over her mouth to prevent herself from vomiting.

This wasn’t the first time this had happened, but it hadn’t been happening long. Only the last few days had she been feeling sick. Vaguely she recalled having lunch at the new seafood restaurant with her mother just last week, and her immediate thought was food poisoning. Bulma closed her eyes and leveled her breathing until the spell disappeared.

_Maybe food isn’t such a good idea…_

After shaking off the affects, she took a deep breath and decided to pass on dinner, even though her stomach grumbled for food. Leaving the hallway behind, Bulma made her way to the kitchen for a glass of water, stepping around her mother as she cooked.  She filled her glass and sipped at it cautiously.

“Don’t leave a plate for me tonight. I think I’m going to head to bed early,” Bulma informed her mother as she leaned against the counter, occasionally taking a sip of her water.

Bunny lifted her head to look at Bulma and placed a hand on her cheek. “Are you all right, dear?”

“I just don’t feel good.”

“All right. I’ll make a plate for you for later if you want?”

Nodding, Bulma emptied her glass, refilled it, and left the kitchen, the nausea already creeping its way back at the smell of her mother’s cooking. Once in her bedroom, she sat the glass on her nightstand and lay in bed. Not once had she ever felt sick from just smelling her mother’s food, not even when she was sick. But now, the stew her mother was cooking was repulsive and made her want to vomit.

She laid her head on her pillow and closed her eyes, not bothering to undress as sleep took her easily.

_oOo_

A week passed and Bulma had her head rested on the toilet lid, her hand lifting to flush it. Her mother stood behind her, softly brushing her hair away from her face. Bulma sighed at the reassuring gesture and leaned against her mother’s shoulder, the dizziness finally leaving.

Not too long after Bulma feel asleep last week, she awoke with the violent urge to vomit and barely made it to the bathroom as the contents of her stomach left her body quickly. Ever since, the spells continued to come and go.

“This has gone on long enough. I’m making you an appointment tomorrow!” Bunny declared as she wiped at her daughter’s face with a cool cloth. Bulma didn’t disagree, but sighed heavily, disliking the fact of visiting a doctor. She had been avoiding her yearly physicals and occasional checkups, and knew that this appointment wouldn’t be pleasant. Bulma hated doctors.

She hesitantly nodded and Bunny stood. “Can you stand, sweetie?”

“Yeah. I actually feel better,” Bulma exclaimed as she climbed to her feet. “I don’t think I need to see a doctor, it’s just food poisoning.”

“I’m still worried. It’s better to be safe than sorry.”

Frowning, Bulma glared at her mother, knowing she was just as stubborn and not going to budge on the subject. She heaved off the wall and left the bathroom without a word, her feet stomping to announce her distaste to the upcoming appointment, but Bunny just chuckled. She followed after Bulma, making sure to call the doctors as soon as lunch was made.

_oOo_

Bulma’s leg continued to shake as she sat in the waiting room of her doctor’s office, her mother lounging beside her reading a home and garden magazine. She rubbed her sweaty hands on her pants and folded her arms, then legs to stop her knee from shaking. She hated doctors, not because of their ability to use sharp objects, but because of their knowledge. Why go to a doctor when she knew what was wrong with herself? It was ridiculous.

It also didn’t help the fact that the last time she visited a doctor, whom wasn’t her own family practitioner, had leaked out some information about her to the public, causing rumors to fly left and right, and a panic phone call from Yamcha.

That was the last time she made any appointment with a doctor.

To say she was upset to be here was an understatement, but she only hoped that her mother was smart and paid these people to be quiet about her visit.

Her head lifted when she saw her doctor walk out and gestured for Bulma to follow her. Doing so, Bulma found herself forced to sit on the exam table, her leg shaking again from both nervousness and agitation. She folded her hands and smiled politely at the doctor, though inside she wanted to push her over and run from the room without looking back.

“Hello, Miss Briefs, I am Dr. Aki,” the doctor started out, her smile polite and friendly. “I was informed that we need to keep this visit on the down-low, correct?”

Bulma nodded. “Yes, the last doctor I saw apparently didn’t understand the terms, doctor patient confidentiality.”

Dr. Aki smiled and chuckled. “Well, I can assure you that I take that policy very seriously and no one will know that you’ve been seen here.” She sat down on her small stool, setting her folder in front of her and clicked her pen. The doctor opened her folder and read Bulma’s file, her eyebrows rising with surprise. “I see that you haven’t had a physical in almost three years!”

Bulma, again, nodded, this time sheepishly.

“Well, we’ll need to take care of that while you’re here, but first things first. Why are you here today?”

Taking a deep breath, already feeling the nausea bubble within the pits of her stomach, Bulma started. “I’ve been getting sick for the last week. I actually feel nauseated now.”

Dr. Aki nodded as she wrote in the file. “Is it just nausea or are you dizzy, have a runny nose, fever?”

Bulma shook her head. “Dizzy, nauseated… I’ve also been vomiting…” She stopped her sentence and closed her eyes, her hand covering her mouth to prevent herself from getting sick again.

The doctor watched this and opened a cabinet, handing Bulma a small bucket. “Just in case.” She looked over at Bunny whom was rubbing Bulma’s back. “So, it’s only been the last week?”

Bunny nodded. “She seems to think its food poisoning, but I’m not so sure...” She trailed off.

Dr. Aki continued to write, then snapped her head up when she saw Bulma had recovered from her spell. “Are you sexually active, Miss Briefs?”

Bulma shook her head. “No, it’s been a while.”

She watched she her doctor through her a skeptical look. “And how long is a while?”

“Um… A little over a month…” Her eyes widened at the realization and her heart began to pump even faster. “You don’t think…”

Dr. Aki nodded as she finished her note and stood. “Anything is possible with sex.” She pulled out a small specimen cup. “Just to be safe, let’s take a urine sample and do a pregnancy test.”

Bulma stared at the small cup held before her, panic beginning to settle within. She slowly took the cup with an unsteady hand and left the room.

The moment she left, Bunny squealed. “Oh, I hope she’s pregnant! I’ve always wanted grandchildren!” Dr. Aki chuckled, but knew from the look Bulma held before she left that she would feel entirely different.

They waited a total of five minutes before Bulma came walking back in with the filled cup and she handed it to the doctor. She sat on the exam table, dreading the results she would hear before the end of her visit.

Dr. Aki smiled gently. “All right, I’m going to run this to the lab and I’ll be back shortly.”

_oOo_

This could not be happening. It was suppose to be a simple food poisoning, something she could get over in just a short few days. But something like this just didn’t go away that easy. It was permanent! What the hell was she going to do now?

Bulma sat on her bed, having just got home from her appointment. She could still hear her mother talking enthusiastically with her father over her knew found pregnancy, already planning for the future. However, she felt entirely different. Her hands were pressed to her stomach as if she could feel the life growing within her; her shock had yet to disappear. It didn’t take as long as she had anticipated for them to run the test. When Dr. Aki came back into the exam room, Bulma continued to chant _please don’t say it_ over and over in her head, but when the words _Congratulations, you’re pregnant, Miss Briefs_ left the doctors mouth, she sat stunned.

What was she suppose to do now?

Then, when they left, Bulma zoned out, her mother’s babbling becoming a hum in the background as panic flooded her mind. It was inevitable when she began to think of Vegeta and how he would react once he returned from space. Would he be angry? Would he care?

It wasn’t until Bulma was in her bedroom when the real panic kicked in… and the loneliness. Tears filled her eyes and she buried her head in her hands as she sobbed. She could handle the pregnancy; that she knew of. But the fact that she had to handle it alone never hit her till now. She had no idea what she was doing and what the future held for her.

A soft knock sounded at her door and she lifted her head from her hands, quickly wiping the many tears that streaked down her face as her mother walked through. Bunny smiled gently and sat down next to Bulma, her arm sliding its way around her shoulders comfortingly. Bulma, then, laid her head on her mother’s shoulder, tears still falling from her eyes.

“I’m so scared, Momma…” Bulma whispered hoarsely.

Bunny chuckled and rubbed her arm. “Don’t worry yourself, sweetheart. We’ll get through this.”

Bulma stiffened when she heard _we_ instead of _you_ and for just a moment, her tears stopped. But only for a moment. She looked up at her mother, her face still wet, and her eyes wide. Bunny just smiled and wiped the wetness from her daughters face, then leaned in and kissed her on the forehead sweetly.

“You’ve forgotten that I’ve gone through this before, darling,” Bunny wrapped Bulma in a tight embrace, stroking her hair lovingly. “I didn’t expect to have you, but it was the best thing that happened to me.”

Her breathing even out at her mother’s attention and she, too, wrapped her arms around Bunny’s waist. “I thought you and Daddy…” Bulma trailed off, unsure of how to finish her sentence.

Bunny chuckled and shook her head. “No. You’re father was so busy before you were born that we hardly ever saw each other except for nights,” she giggled at Bulma’s groan. “We had agreed to wait on having children for several more years, but fate had different plans for us.”

Bulma sat up, her sniffling becoming a nuisance to her as she reached for a tissue. She blew her nose and cradled another tissue in her hands.

“So, how _did_ Daddy take the news?”

For the first time, Bunny’s smile dropped and her face became serious. “You need to realize that your father loves you like nothing else in this world. But back then, times were much harder for us…” she trailed off and took a deep breath. “I didn’t tell him for a month. I never saw him and when I did, he was always so stressed. The company was _just_ taking off and your father was dealing with big people. And when I did tell him, he wasn’t entirely… happy….”

Bulma’s eyes widened, her heart feeling a slight pang at her mother’s words. She couldn’t imagine her father not wanting her; she was a _Daddy’s girl._ Her father treated her like she was a princess and taught her everything she knew about engineering and science. When she went to open her mouth to protest this to her mother, Bunny held up a hand and shook her head.

“We fought, but not once did he suggest an abortion. I knew he was just stressed. We both weren’t expecting this. But he saw I was happy and as time went on, your father came around too.”

Bulma narrowed her eyes in confusion, knowing there was more to the story than what Bunny was letting on. Seeing this, Bunny just smiled and patted her leg gently. “What I’m saying is, I know you’re worried about what Vegeta is going to think when he comes back. He reminds me a lot of Trunks. If you give him time, he’ll come around.” She said slowly. “Besides, you have more important things to worry about.” Bunny giggled as she rubbed Bulma’s stomach.

Bulma’s eyes began to water at her mother’s words and she threw her arms around her shoulders in a tight embrace.

“I love you, Momma…” she whispered in her mother’s ear.

“I love you too, my sweet angel.”

They sat like that, both holding each other firmly in silence as Bulma’s tears began to dry and her sniffling slowed.

“I also think you should tell Yamcha…” Bunny whispered and Bulma closed her eyes, already dreading his reaction.

_oOo_

Bulma paced back and forth in her living room. She called Yamcha twenty minutes ago, telling him she needed to talk to him, that it was important, and immediately hung up without waiting for his response. After having that conversation with her mother, some of the weight lifted off her shoulders, allowing her to breathe and think clearly. She decided to wait a few days to call her ex; she wanted time to deal with the fact that she was pregnant. She also wanted to plan how she was going to tell him.

Today, she impulsively picked up the phone and dialed his number, then blabbered off what she needed to say and hung up. Bulma knew he wouldn’t take long to see her and her hands continued to shake at her nervousness. She sat down on her couch, her knee bouncing with her agitation.

Then, the realization that she was going to tell the _one_ person who _hated_ Vegeta the _most_ finally settled in.

_Oh Kami! What the fuck am I doing?_

In a panic she ran to the phone and began to dial his number, but she was too late. A knock sounded at the front door and Bulma set the phone down on the end table. _Think, Bulma, think!_

The immediate thought to pretend she wasn’t home appeared, but she brushed it off with a scoff.

_He knows your home, dumbass!_

Taking a deep, though shaky breath, Bulma lifted a hand and turned the knob to the door slowly. Why was she doing this again? Oh yeah… He deserved to know… Scowling before she opened the door, Bulma decided to blame her mother on her sudden conscious and worrying for what Yamcha would think. Scowl lifted and replaced with an expressionless face, Bulma opened the door wide, revealing a concerned Yamcha on the other side.

There was no _Hi_ , no _Hey babe_ , no usual greeting that normally came from him. Instead, he stepped through the doorway, slipped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in for a tight hug.

“You freaked me out when you called, what’s going on, B?”

Bulma found that she couldn’t even open her mouth to reply. He called her _B_. He never called her B. She never had the heart to tell him she hated that dreadful nickname he always called her. Babe… It just didn’t sit well with her. But when he called her B, it felt different. More authentic.

Without replying, she wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed, her eyes already brimming with unshed tears, but she hid her face in his chest so he wouldn’t see. What would he think once she told him? She knew he’d be angry, but would he listen? Would he understand?

Bulma nearly sobbed when her last thought was how desperate she needed Yamcha to be there for her.

She was afraid to say anything now.

More so than before.

She felt his hands slide to her shoulders and he gently pushed her away to get a good look at her. His face crumbled when he saw tear streaks down her cheeks. Bringing her back into his embrace, he shook his head, completely confused and utterly worried.

“What the hell is going on, Bulma? You’re not telling me something…”

 _My Kami… He actually sounds worried…_ Bulma wanted to hit herself at that thought.

She pulled away from him, turned, and began to walk towards the couch to take a seat. He followed close behind, his thoughts getting more worse by the second. Was she dying? No, that’s ludicrous!

They both sat on the couch and she made sure to have a good foot between them. Bulma wiped at her eyes and inhaled, then exhaled. How to tell him without being blunt? Was there even a way?

“Bulma?” Yamcha questioned, though it sounded more like a demand.

Building the courage, Bulma faced him full on, her game face on as she finally threw out what she had been holding in. Her heart was hammering in her chest and her palms were sweaty, but none of that mattered. She had to tell him. It didn’t feel right, him not knowing. Besides, even if she didn’t tell him _now_ , he would’ve eventually found out.

Instinctually, Bulma pressed a hand to her stomach protectively as she stared him squarely in the eyes.

“I’m pregnant, Yamcha…”

_oOo_

_...TBC..._


	9. Chapter 8: I heard you and fell in love

Bulma stood in the kitchen, the occasional giggle escaping her lips as she chopped and stirred. Three weeks had passed since she broke the news to Yamcha about her unexpected pregnancy. When she finally told him, the tension was released from her, but a new tension settled between them when his shock was replaced with anger.

_He sat there staring at her wide eyed._

_The moment, “I’m pregnant, Yamcha” left her lips, a weight lifted from her chest, but a new heaviness settled between them. He was silent, his brain unable to absorb her news. She was waiting for him to say something, anything. Even if he yelled at her, she wouldn’t have minded. It would’ve been a reaction. The one she expected nonetheless. But he wasn’t saying anything._

_Bulma stared back at him, allowing the news to register. The silence was almost becoming too much for her, but she told herself to be patient. But then, five minutes passed, and her knee started to bounce._

_Ten minutes passed, and she fiddled with her hands._

_Fifteen minutes passed and she sighed. Did it really take this long for him to get over his shock? Just as Bulma thought this, Yamcha jumped from his seated position on the couch and began to pace in front of her. She watched as he walked back and forth. He turned multiple times to her with his mouth open, about to say something, but instead, he shook his head, ran a hand roughly through his locks, and continued his pace._

_It dawned on her._

_She didn’t have to explain. He already knew. The moment the words were said, he knew automatically who the father was._

_It made perfect sense._

_He stopped his pacing and Bulma stiffened. Yamcha lifted his head to scope the room, as if he was searching for something, but Bulma knew he was trying to sense if Vegeta was near. When he discovered that he wasn’t, Yamcha turned to her, his face hard and his eyes cold._

_“Why?”_

_Why? Why what? Why was she pregnant? Well that was a stupid question. She opened her mouth to reply, and then closed it, not knowing what to say or how to word what she wanted to say._

_“Why, Bulma?” Yamcha began to shout. “Why? Of all the people, why HIM?”_

_She winced and shook her head. What could she say? Originally, she wanted to say, “It was out of loneliness,” but it was only partly true. Till now. Bulma couldn’t tell him that she had feelings for the Saiya-jin no Ouji. It would just do more damage._

_So, instead, she said nothing and just shook her head._

_Yamcha threw his arms outward dramatically. “I don’t understand! I offered this to you so many times! And you get it from him!”_

_“I don’t know what to say to you, Yamcha! It just happened!”_

_He blinked. “Just happened? Did he fall in you and OOPS?”_

_Bulma narrowed her eyes, her anger beginning to boil. She stood, her voice becoming louder. “What the fuck do you want me to say? We broke up and he and I happened for one fucking night!” Her eyes filled to the rim with tears, her anger now present. “I thought I’d tell you out of respect, but if this is the bullshit I’m going to get, then fuck you, Yamcha! I don’t need this nor do I deserve it!”_

_She wiped at her eyes and saw Yamcha open his mouth to retort. “Oh, save it! It’s not like you have any room to speak anyways!”_

_His eyes widened. “Oh, come on, Bulma! That happened four years ago! We got through it!”_

_“Well, maybe I never got over it.” She took in a deep breath. “I don’t want to fight with you.” She said simply._

_Yamcha scoffed. “Oh, okay. Well how do you expect me to take this? With open arms and a huge smile? I hate the fuckin’ guy! He’s an asshole!” He chuckled darkly. “I bet the moment he got what he wanted from you, he left! Is that—“_

_“Shut up!” Bulma screamed, her tears streaming down her face rapidly. “You know nothing, so don’t act like you do!”_

_Realizing he hit a sore spot, Yamcha loosened his tight shoulders and sighed. He watched as Bulma fell onto the couch, her head cradled in her hands as she sobbed, and his chest tightened at the scene before him. Maybe he went too far with that last comment? Sure, he hated the arrogant Prince, but he knew he shouldn’t have been taking it out on Bulma. He was just sore that she was pregnant with another man’s child. A child that wasn’t his. A child that belonged to a man who had killed him once, at least, in his eyes._

_Slowly, he approached the couch and sat next to Bulma, hesitantly raising a hand and placed it upon her back. She flinched at the contact, but didn’t move away. What he said was exactly what happened. Vegeta left. She felt used and not only that, but now she had to face being a mother alone._

_Bulma lifted her head and buried her face in his chest, whispering “I’m sorry,” but to whom, he did not know. Yamcha just hugged her while she sobbed, his shirt wet with her tears._

_“Is that why he’s not here?” Yamcha asked softly._

_Bulma nodded slowly and sat up straight, wiping insistently at her eyes to stop her crying. She let out a shaky breath and reached for a tissue._

_“He left the next morning for space.” She blew her nose and grabbed a clean tissue to dab at her eyes. “I shouldn’t even be surprised. I don’t know what I was thinking. He doesn’t even know yet. He left so fast.” She whispered the last few words, her sobs waning._

_Yamcha sat and listened, his face like stone and his teeth clenched together to keep from spewing the venom that was building._

_She continued only this time, instead of screaming, her voice was a murmur. “I’m so scared. I feel so incredibly stupid.”_

_He swallowed hard, then his eyes zoned in on her stomach. He could already feel the ki of the small being growing within her, and it was quite powerful for that of a fetus. Yamcha shook his head and frowned. He shouldn’t have yelled, but he couldn’t help himself. He was, in fact, sore that Bulma was having a child with another man, but then he realized that this child was a part of Bulma. A part of the person he loved more than anything. And now, she was sitting in front of him, crying her eyes out, which never happened._

_The Bulma he knew was strong and proud, and even the bravest person he knew. But, the person sitting in front of him looked broken and scared. He wanted to leave, originally. He wanted to spit at her feet for getting herself in this situation, but seeing this proud being crumble before him tore him apart. He couldn’t leave._

_With that thought, Yamcha knelt in front of her. He gathered her hands in his and, with everything in him, produced a small smile._

_As he spoke, he squeezed her hands. “I’m here. It’ll be okay.” He said simply._

_Bulma’s eyes narrowed in confusion and she shook her head. “I can’t ask you—“_

_“Stop. You’re not asking, I’m telling. I’m here. You can’t do this alone.” Her eyes began to water and he lifted a hand to wipe a tear away. “Whenever you need me, B. I’ll come running.”_

Ever since, Yamcha hardly ever left her side. They both stood in the kitchen preparing lunch. The radio sat at the other end of the counter, the volume turned up as one of Yamcha’s favorite songs played. Bulma watched, her chest shaking with laughter, as Yamcha head banged to the song, occasionally pretending to kick over an invisible speaker while he played the air guitar.

This was the Yamcha she missed.

When the song ended, he stood, and then bowed as Bulma clapped for him and she shook her head. “You’re nuts.”

He chuckled. “I’m not the only one who’s nuts!” Yamcha said as he patted her stomach.  “Ever since we got back from that ultrasound, you’ve been baby nuts.”

Bulma smiled gently as she placed her hand over her small bump. Now nearly two months pregnant, she was just starting to show. They both returned to their chopping and peeling. “I can’t help it. I’m excited.”

Yamcha shook his head as he stacked his share of sandwiches on a plate. “It’s weird. Not too long ago, you were freaking out, and now you’re all giddy about this kid.”

“Just because I’m _giddy_ doesn’t mean I’m not scared,” Bulma replied as she put two pieces of bread in front of her. “I still have my moments where I think _what am I going to do_ , or _what if I’m a bad mother_.”

“There’s no way in hell that you’ll be a bad mother, Bulma.”

“How do you know? Can you see the future or something?”

Yamcha smirked, a twinkle in his eye as he glanced down at her stomach. “I just know.” He said softly.

_Bulma laid on the exam table, her shirt lifted to expose her stomach to the cool air. Yamcha sat by her side and next to him was Bunny. Her mother bounced in place as they waited for the ultrasound technician._

_“Oh my goodness! My baby is having a baby!” She squealed as if she had just found out the news. “Do you want to know the sex?”_

_Bulma shook her head, frowning as she eyed the cream colored wall paper with distaste. “No, I don’t really want to know anything, Mom. Besides, it’s a bit early to know that, isn’t it?”_

_Bunny stopped her excited jumping and rested a hand upon Bulma’s stomach. “Come on, dear. You have to be at least a little bit curious?”_

_When Bulma opened her mouth to deny it, Yamcha butted in. “Yeah, babe, aren’t you even a little bit curious about what you’re having?”_

_Her eyes widened at his question. Since she told him, he barely wanted to talk about the baby. She had to beg him to come to the ultrasound with her and here he was, questioning her about her lack of enthusiasm. Who in the hell was this Yamcha?_

_“You’re seriously commenting on my lack of excitement? Just yesterday, you didn’t want to talk about the baby!”_

_He shrugged and smirked. “I don’t know. Seeing you sit there and being here with you is kind of making this more real for me.”_

_All conversation halted when the door to the exam room opened. A short older woman walked in, a smile presented on her weathered skin. Her gray hair was pulled back in a bun, her legs hidden beneath a long khaki skirt and a white blouse to match. She extended her hand to each person._

_“Hello, I’m Dr. Hikari,” she introduced herself as she shook each of their hands gently. “I will be your ultrasound tech today.”_

_Bulma smiled gently as she took the woman’s cold hand in hers and shook it. She watched as the older woman took a seat next to what looked like a television screen and placed a folder on the nearby table. “Well,” Dr. Hikari started as she met Bulma’s eyes. “I take it you are the mother-to-be, Miss Briefs?”_

_“Yes.”_

_The doctor nodded and opened the file, then set her pen down and faced the threesome. She then glanced at the other two standing next to the young girl. “And may I ask who is accompanying you today?”_

_Bulma looked back at her two companions and smiled gently. “This is my mother,” She gestured to Bunny. “And this…” When she got to Yamcha, she halted for a second, unsure of what to say. “This is a… friend of mine, Yamcha.”_

_After making the introductions, the doctor read through the file slowly. “So, today, I’m presuming you want to know how far a long you are and the progress of your baby.” She got up from her stool and walked to the other side of the room to open a cabinet. Pulling out a box of latex gloves, she stretched a pair on her hands, the gloves slapping into place. “Is there any questions or concerns you have for me today?”_

_Bulma shook her head, “No, I don’t think so.” Even though she was worried about the fact that her child was indeed half Saiya-jin. She was worried what the baby’s power would do to the machinery, but what could she say? That her baby was part alien? That’s unrealistic._

_But her fears were put to rest when her mother decided to share her concerns. “I was wondering…” Bunny trailed off._

_Dr. Hikari turned from the counter after grabbing a bottle of some unknown substance. “Yes, Mrs. Briefs?”_

_Bunny shared a look with Bulma, but said nothing further, unsure of how to word the startling information. Noticing this exchange, Dr. Hikari stepped forward. “Whatever the concern is, I’d be happy to—“_

_“We’re concerned for the baby’s… genetics.” Bunny began to state. At seeing the confusion grow in the doctor’s eyes, she tried to explain further. “Its origin is much different than you’d expect.”_

_“Mother.” Bulma said harshly. Was she actually going to tell this woman that her baby was an alien? Possibly a powerful alien at that? It was too risky!_

_Bunny smiled gently. “Dear, this is something that needs to be addressed. It is rather important.”_

_Bulma scoffed and looked to Yamcha for support, but he looked away. Really? Coward!_

_“I don’t agree to this. It’s too dangerous!” She argued._

_Dr. Hikari interrupted. “Miss Briefs, no matter what, I’m subjected to doctor patient confidentiality. I’m not allowed to say anything, unless it involves some sort of abuse.”_

_Bulma growled. “Are you suggesting I’m abusing my child?” She yelled, her lips nearly curling back in a snarl, her body tense like she was about to leap from the table._

_The doctor was taken aback at the outburst. “N-no of course not! I was just saying…” Dr. Hikari trailed off, unsure and completely shaken at the display of pure anger on the younger woman’s facial features._

_“Bulma, dear, relax!”_

_Bunny rested a hand on her daughters shoulder, her grip tight. Yamcha stood and sat on the bed next to her, his body blocking her path to the stunned doctor. “Babe, you need to calm down, no one is accusing you of anything.”_

_Bulma took in several deep breaths and laid her head back against the already flat pillow._

_What was wrong with her?_

_She was angry over nothing. No, she was more than angry. She felt she needed to protect this small life, even though she didn’t feel close to it. What was going on with her…?_

_Everything in the room slowed down. She tried to breathe to calm herself, but it wasn’t helping. She just wanted to run from the room and huddle somewhere. She didn’t like the topic they were discussing. It was endangering the one thing she had left of_ him _. Her hands rested on her exposed tummy, her thumb rubbing soothingly back and forth, as if she was trying to calm the life in her. Was it the baby that caused her to react so harshly? The doctor hadn’t even said anything, but she had felt… enraged._

_She looked up from her stomach and saw Yamcha watching her, a small smile playing on his lips._

It was that moment that he knew everything would work out right. He watched Bulma nearly fly off the handle for any apparent reason. It was almost a protective reaction. Shortly after she had told him about the news, they barely talked about the pregnancy. He had the feeling she wanted to pretend it didn’t exist, therefore, whenever the topic was brought up then, he refused to indulge in it. But after watching his ex react the way she did, her hands flying to her stomach without her knowing; it filled his heart with warmth.

It was then, Yamcha knew. He wanted this with her.

_oOo_

The sun was beginning to set as the day came to an end. Yamcha had already left after asking a series of _are ‘you sure you’re okay’_ questions. Bulma was more than just okay. She was feeling calm. The joys of pregnancy had barely hit her, but when it did, she glowed with it. Everyone she worked with commented on the aura she gave off.

At first, no one wanted to be around her. After finding out about her pregnancy, it threw Bulma into a newfound depression. She didn’t want to talk about it, but then again, she did. Things would’ve been much easier if Vegeta was around. Wait…

Would it really be easier?

Then, shortly after her depression appeared, it was replaced with anger. She had just came back from the ultrasound appointment, her face glowing and her hands never leaving her stomach, but when she passed _his_ old room, the smile abruptly disappeared. Ever since he had left, she hadn’t been in his room.

Bulma didn’t want to go into Vegeta’s room. She wanted to rid herself of his memory, but that was impossible now.

She had glanced down at her stomach and frowned.

He left and didn’t even know they were expecting a child. All Bulma could think about was how he had abandoned her in a time of need.

So, instead of moping, Bulma seethed and hardened. Vegeta was hardly mentioned and when he was, it was always centered on the baby.

Bulma wiped her hands on a dry towel after setting the last of the clean dishes in the dish drainer. She just could have the cleaning bots do the work, but she had been feeling restless. That day, Yamcha had tried so hard to keep her occupied. She knew he wanted to ask her about her plans for when the Saiya-jin returned, but she was thankful he didn’t.

To be perfectly honest, she had no clue how she was going to tell Vegeta.

After leaving the kitchen, Bulma made her way to her room. The sun had set and she was due for her long bath. Her tense muscles had begun to ache from her long day and exhaustion was apparent. She fiddled with the bow on her shirt as she made her way around the corner of the long corridor, only to stop once Vegeta’s room was in view.

Her heart fluttered.

It had been over two months since she had been in there and the pull to go in was strong this time. Would it still smell like him? Would his bed be made like it always was when he wasn’t there? He was always a neat freak and whenever she was in there, everything of his had an order to it.

Bulma hesitated in her first step, but swallowed the hard lump in her throat. Yes, he left, but she had to move on. Her baby had become her priority and sulking over Vegeta wasn’t going to help any further. She was to become a mother.

Taking in a deep breath, Bulma pushed the door open and walked into the dark room. A lingering scent still existed that she immediately recognized as Vegeta’s, but it was faded. So, the room still did smell like him. How odd, when he hardly spent any time in here. Her eyes focused in the darkness of the room and they took in the made bed, the empty dresser, and the lone desk. Bulma walked further into the room and sat down on the bed.

Memories of their passionate tryst came back to her and she rubbed the small bump.

“This is where I made you…” She said softly to the being inside her. Odd to introduce her unborn child to the place it was conceived, but she needed closure and she felt this was the only way to introduce her child to its father.

Bulma lay upon the bed, her head buried in the one pillow, and she inhaled. Still, after all this time, his scent was still present on the fabric. She laid there for a short time, taking in his natural scent, till curiosity got the better of her.

Did he take everything?

She eyed the closet on the opposite side of the room. She had seen the boxes he took with him and knew he didn’t have much, so what did he leave behind? Leaving the bed, Bulma threw open the doors to the closet and rolled her eyes. Of course.

He left the clothes he considered to be too _human_ for him.

The clothes she bought for him when all he had was the armor and training suit that he wore when he first arrived on Earth.

Bulma wasn’t the least bit surprised. She picked through each article of clothing, noticing the tags still intact. They hadn’t even been worn. Oh well. Maybe one day he’ll break down and wear them, like she was able to get him to wear that ridiculous pink shirt. Bulma chuckled at the memory. She could be devious when she wanted to be.

She fingered the clothing one last time before shutting the doors to the closet and made her way to his dresser. Did he even use it? She opened the top drawer, but it was completely empty. One by one, she opened the drawers, and all that was left was lint. Well, at least he took something.

But this made her question whether he was really planning to come back. Even the armor she made for him was gone.

Sighing, she stepped away from the dresser and turned to the desk. It looked completely unused and untouched. She sat at the chair and opened a few of the drawers, but none of them held anything. About to give up in her snooping, Bulma stood from the desk and turned, her toe immediately making contact with one of its wooden legs. She hissed and sat back down, her eyes watering with the pain that shot through her foot.

“Fuckin’ son of a bitch!” Bulma muttered in a low tone.

Glaring at the possessed desk, she rubbed her toe until the pain began to ease. As she continually rubbed her toe, Bulma saw a small opening near the bottom of the desk.

_Huh. I must’ve missed a drawer. It’s probably empty anyway._

Bulma reached down and opened the last drawer further and her eyes widened.

_Apparently he didn’t take everything!_

There laid a small leathered bound book, a symbol embedded in its cover. She pulled it out and sat it down on the desk, her fingers gently rubbing along the raised lines of the symbol. What a weird sign… It was obviously foreign, just from the symbol, she could tell.

Her eyes narrowed.

_I’ve seen this somewhere before…_

Then she gasped. Several times, during their arguments where Vegeta would stomp off, she’d give chase, only to find him in his room, this book in hand. But she was unable to get a good look at it, for he’d put it away quickly, his eyes turning on her with a vengeance, and their argument would resume, all thoughts of the book completely gone by then. She desperately wanted to open it, but that would’ve been an invasion of privacy and if Vegeta did return, and found out about it, all trust, what little of it he had in her, would diminish right there. Sighing, Bulma sat the book down and stared at it.

It was a beautiful symbol, but she had no clue to what it meant.

Reluctantly, Bulma put the book away and left the room.

She walked down the hall, somewhat dragging her feet as she came upon her door. She stood in the hall, a frown marring her face as she glanced back down the hall towards Vegeta’s room. Bulma sighed and leaned against the wall. If… no when he came back, would he accept her pregnancy? To be perfectly honest, she didn’t at first. All she could think of was how she felt too young to be a mother. Even the one thought of how the baby could possibly be ruining her life flittered through her mind. But ever since she came back from the ultrasound, all her doubts and worries ceased.

Pushing Vegeta to the furthest part of her mind, she entered her bedroom and shed her clothes. A shower sounded nice.

The beat of the water felt good against her back as she stood there and soaked. Her hand slowly ran down along her torso, over the roundness of her breasts to her mostly flat stomach. It was just that one sound. A faint beat that changed her entire perspective. 

Bulma tilted her head back into the warm water as she recalled the first time she heard her child.

_Dr. Hikari sat there, fidgeting with the many gadgets on the screen. They had a lengthy conversation about the baby’s father, his heritage, and abilities. The doctor took the news exceptionally well, to everyone’s surprise. After witnessing everything on the news about the recent attacks in the nearby deserts that were unexplainable and some of the fallen cities, the doctor had said it made sense._

_She had smiled at Bulma and reassured her that their secret was safe._

_Bunny rested a hand on her daughters shoulder as the doctor smeared a cold substance onto her stomach. She then pressed the probe to her abdomen and they all leaned in towards the screen. Bulma listened as the doctor hummed. All she could see was blackness and the occasional movement she assumed was her muscles contracting._

_“Why can’t we see anything?” Yamcha asked suddenly._

_Bulma turned her head and glared. “It’s an ultrasound, dummy! It’s supposed to look like that!” When he lowered his head and quieted, Bulma turned back to the screen and watched as Dr. Hikari turned a few more knobs and move the probe around. Then, the screen changed. Bulma’s eyes widened at the dark circle that was surrounded by white. The doctor smiled and she moved the cursor to the middle of the screen._

_“This,” she started as she circled the dark circle, “is the amniotic sac and this little gem here,” she moved the cursor over the small being that laid in the middle of the circle, curled up. “This little beauty is your baby.”_

_Bulma swallowed as she stared at the small creature that lay in her womb. It was tiny._

_So, that was her child._

_She watched as the fetus squirmed, though she couldn’t feel it, her eyes glazing over with a newfound feeling. Then, the doctor turned one knob and suddenly, the room was filled with a soft thumping sound. The baby’s heart beat._

_Bulma’s eyes filled with unshed tears at the sound. She was listening to her baby’s heart beat. It was so beautiful. No words were said as they listened to the rapid thumping noise and Bulma felt a warm hand cover her own. She looked down at it, then up to its owner. Her mother smiled down at her proudly, tears in her own eyes._

_When she had found out she was pregnant Bulma had nearly come to regret it. She had been depressed; just the word baby would set her off._

_That little heart beat changed everything!_

_Right then, Bulma had become a mother._

It was at that moment Bulma felt an instant connection with her child. Her mother had once told her that women become mothers when they’re pregnant and men become fathers when they first see their child. She didn’t feel like a mom when she became pregnant. She just mourned the changes of her body, the departure of Vegeta, and the loneliness she felt. But just listening to that small sound caused her chest to tighten and the air she was breathing to thicken.

Bulma stepped out of the shower and dried off. She turned around, the towel now draped over her shoulders as she attempted to dry her back, when her reflection caught her eye. She dropped her white towel and stepped forward, her eyes traveling over her naked form.

It didn’t seem like much had changed.

But looking closely, Bulma could tell the difference. Her stomach seemed flat from the angle she was standing in, but turning just slightly, she could make out the small bump that had begun to appear in her lower abdomen. Her eyes traveled upward to her breasts. She knew what to expect when expecting, what changes were going to happen, and bigger breasts were one of them. Her hand lifted to her right breast and she felt around the soft flesh.

It didn’t seem any bigger.

She certainly didn’t feel any different, except the occasional mood swings. Thankfully, her morning sickness had ceased almost completely, only every now and then would she be caught off guard by a sudden nausea spell.

Both her hands ran down her sides gently as she felt out her figure. Bulma turned left and right as she checked herself out, her one hand pinching here and there, and the other cupping and squeezing. In her mind, she was committing her form to memory, because she knew that in just a short time, her figure wouldn’t be as same slim and smooth as it was now.

Bulma was saying goodbye to her slender physique.

Finally, her hands, once again, came to rest upon the growing bump and she sighed.

“You’re so lucky, baby…” Bulma eyed her form once more before she turned away from the mirror. Glancing down her body towards her stomach, she murmured, “Because of you, I’m going to get fat!”

_oOo_

_...TBC…_


	10. Chapter 9: Light's, Camera, Action!

“Come on, babe! At least turn so I can get a good view of you!”

Bulma huffed and stayed turned towards the wall. “No, Yamcha! Put that ridiculous camera away!” She yelled back. For the last week, Yamcha had been trying to follow her around with the new video camera he recently purchased. The moment she first saw it, she immediately was against the idea. He wanted to film her pregnancy, but she had repetitively explained that the idea was ridiculous.

But he was being persistent and to be perfectly honest, she liked the attention.

At three months pregnant, Bulma’s small bulge had grown to a smooth roundness. It was as if her stomach grew overnight. Yamcha called it _‘pregnancy on steroids’_ and laughed at her expression. When Bulma had went to her first ultrasound, the doctor had told her that she was progressing at a rather fast pace. But being a genius, she figured it was because her baby was a demi Saiya-jin. It was instances like this where she wished Vegeta had stayed. She had no clue how long a Saiya-jin pregnancy lasted or how this would affect hers.

Yamcha enjoyed the fast growth, much to her displeasure.

When the time came to dress, she had found that the clothes that had recently fit perfectly were becoming snuggly tight.

She was pissed. When her mother had mentioned materinity clothing, Bulma gasped in horror. Maternity clothing—in her eyes—was just a sign of admitting you were fat, and she was most definitely not going to admit she was getting fat. Call her denial, but she loved her clothing and refused to wear something baggy.

Bulma turned her body again when Yamcha attempted to catch a side view of her stomach and nearly busted out laughing at his disappointed expression.

“Try all you want, Yamcha, but you’re not going to succeed!”

He frowned at her statement and backed away, camera still in hand. Then, as an idea struck him, he smirked devilishly, and lowered the camera, pretending to turn it off. “All right, you win, B,” he said as sincerely as possible, even slipping in a bit of disappointment in his voice.

Bulma hesitated when he gave up. It was too easy. He had been at it all week with that damned camera and now he surrendered? But he sounded so disappointed. Maybe… After giving it a bit of thought, Bulma slowly turned around to face him only to watch as the camera flashed up from his side. She growled while he grinned like an idiot.

“Gotcha!” Yamcha screamed victoriously as he zoomed in on her bulging stomach. “Look at you, Miss Preggers!”

She blushed and crossed her arms, finally giving in as he recorded her. Truth be told, ever since she had started to grow out of her old clothing, she had became extremely self conscious of her body, even though she was praised by others on how well her body was accepting her pregnancy. It still didn’t help much.

“Could you please put that damn thing away?” Bulma yelled as she threw a hand up to swat at the camera.

Yamcha effortless blocked her attempts and chuckled. “Come on, we need to record this for keepsake! Don’t you want any type of records of your pregnancy? Any memories?”

“I will! I’ll have a little me running around!”

He rolled his eyes and followed her as she walked away from him. “Yeah, well, I’m sure that little you is going to be pretty curious in the future.”

Bulma scoffed. “Then I’ll just answer her questions! Simple as that!”

Yamcha stopped following her, a brow raised at her choice of words. “Her?”

She turned and faced him, only several feet away, and scowled when she saw the camera still in hand and pointed directly at her. “Yeah, _her_!”

“You think it’s a girl?”

Bulma nodded.

“Well what if it’s a boy?”

When she shrugged and said nothing, he rolled his eyes at her. _So stubborn!_ He thought when he saw her turn and walk away again.

“I will get you on film! This will be shown to that kid some day!” He yelled down the hall to her retreating form.

All he got in return was the finger.

_oOo_

Bulma peered around the corner of the hall. For the last few days she had been able to avoid Yamcha and his stupid camera, but only because she locked herself in her lab and refused to come out except for meals and to go to bed. She couldn’t understand why it was so important for him to record her. Truth be told, it was starting to become a little annoying. Sure, she liked the attention, but she could only take so much. And Bulma Briefs _always_ dealt with people and cameras.

Thankfully, the paparazzi had yet to get wind of her pregnancy, although, tabloids continued to print ridiculous topics about her sudden disappearance from the public. When she read one, she rolled her eyes towards the sky and muttered a few colorful curses before throwing the magazine in the trash. Why her mother continued to buy them was still a mystery to her. They both knew what those people wrote was completely untrue, but apparently, that didn’t stop her mother from gushing over the latest gossip.

Bulma continued to hug the wall as she walked down the corridor, her eyes constantly looking every which way for a man with a camera. The halls felt eerie and no one was around, which was unusual. Normally, several employees of CC filled the hall, but today, she was completely alone.

This was not a good sign.

_Where is everybody?_

Bulma quickened her pace, the feeling in her gut telling her something was up, but she didn’t know what. Then she passed a cracked door and curiosity got the best of her when she saw a shadow go by. She peered through the crack, but saw nothing but an empty room.

Thinking it was her imagination, Bulma walked away from the door, her stomach growling. With avoiding Yamcha and planning her new project, she lost track of time, and it was well past dinner. Making her way to the doorway leading to the main living quarters of the building, Bulma never noticed the figure approaching her from behind. She went to swipe her ID badge when a hand gripped her shoulder, causing her to screech, turn, and start kicking away at the offender.

“Bulma! Bulma stop!”

Looking down, Bulma gasped, a hand flying to cover her mouth at the person now lying on the floor before her.

“Yamcha, you jerk! You know how easily scared I can get!”

Yamcha lay there, both hands held up, ready to defend off another attack if need be, in one hand, his camera was held, completely unharmed and already recording. He watched as her eyes flew to the offending object and they narrowed dangerously.

“Are you recording me?”

He just smiled, and instead of rising to his feet, he pointed the camera up at her and said, “This is what your mother does to her poor friends! Be warned kid! She can be evil!”

Bulma gasped, her hands flying to her stomach.

“Yeah, well… You’re Uncle is a womanizer, so stay away from him!” And at his gasp, Bulma smirked victoriously before throwing open the door behind her and left him to lay there.

_oOo_

Bulma sat at her desk, her head held in the palm of her hand as she clicked her mouse repeatedly to scroll down the webpage. She knew she had plenty of time to shop, but the excitement she had been feeling wouldn’t go away. She was having a baby!

And she wanted a nursery, dammit!

The page loaded, showing premade nursery themes and Bulma sighed. Currently, she was still hooked on the idea of having a little girl, but Yamcha’s words kept echoing in her mind. What if she was having a boy? It would make things so much easier if she knew the sex of her child!

Bulma exited the website and shut her computer down. So far, the themes were cliché and boring. Animals, letters, unicorns, butterflies, and little automobiles were the most popular theme. But it was _not_ good enough for her child. She wanted something different. Something… unique! Her baby was unique; the nursery would be unique as well.

She stood from the computer desk and gathered the baby catalogue she had previously been reading before leaving the room entirely. The only people she knew whom had been through this were her mother and Chi-Chi, but she refused to budge on asking for help.

_Chi-Chi doesn’t know I’m pregnant, yet… Oh Kami._

Bulma sat at her kitchen table and flipped open the book. She sighed as she turned from page to page, the nursery themes dull and ordinary. Then, she stiffened as a flash of light brightened her vision and she turned to find her mother standing not too far behind her, a camera held in her hand.

“Oh my Kami, mom! Not you too!”

Bunny giggled. “What, darling? It’s just a picture of you looking through your books!”

Bulma rolled her eyes. “That’s not the point!” She exclaimed as she began to gather her variety of baby catalogues. “Yamcha has been following me around for the last week with his damn video camera and I’ve about had it!”

“But, Bulma dear. You’re having a baby, it’s worth recording!”

She turned to her mother, exasperated. “I’m around cameras all the time. Facing them at home doesn’t help!” Bulma nearly growled when she heard her mother giggle again. She racked a hand through her messy hair, then took a deep breath and sat down with a huff.

“Okay,” Bunny started with a bright smile. “I can see you’re stressing. So I’ll just put the camera away… for now.” She sat the camera down on the table and sat next to her daughter.

Bulma nodded and muttered a quiet thank you before turning back to her books. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw her mother peer at them curiously.

“Sweetie, why are you looking at nurseries so early?”

She shrugged. “I just wanted to get a jump start on the process, that’s all.”

“But, you don’t even know what you’re having! Don’t you think you should wait another two months?”

“No, at the rate this is going, I’ll be giving birth at six months instead of nine. I want my nursery.”

Bunny just shook her head and placed a hand on her daughter’s large stomach, rubbing it gently. “Just because your pregnancy is different doesn’t mean you should rush. You don’t even know the sex of your baby yet. I would hate for you to already have built your nursery for the wrong sex and have to change it at the last minute.”

Bulma sighed, knowing her mother was right, but not wanting to admit it. She felt Bunny pat her stomach before she stood.

“I’m going to be in the garden if you need me, love.”

Just as she was about to leave, Bulma rotated in her chair, and called out to her mother.

“Wait, Mom!”

Bunny stopped as she reached the door and turned her head to face her daughter.

“What, sweetie?”

Bulma bit her lip. “When you were pregnant with me… What kind of nursery theme did you go with?”

Her mother giggled; a hand pressed to her chest and a distant look took over her eyes. She sighed deeply. “Oh, that was a wonderful moment…” She started as she now gazed at her grown and expecting daughter. She returned to her seat and took hold of her hands. Bulma shifted in her seat to get comfortable, knowing how her mother loved to get lost in her own memories.

“I had you earlier than I expected… We didn’t have a nursery for you yet, it was so sudden!” Bunny chuckled, a contagious smile on her face. “So, you slept with us for the first week of your life while we made your nursery…” Bunny trailed off and squeezed Bulma’s hands. “Your father and I had different opinion’s on what your nursery theme should be. You know how he can be.” She said with a chuckle. “It was always science and engineering for him, and I wanted it to be girly because you were my little girl. So, after we debated, we settled on creating our own theme.”

Bulma cocked a brow. “Your own theme? Like, combining your guy’s ideas together? THAT was my nursery?”

“NO! Of course not, sweetie! We have better taste than that!” Without explaining further, Bunny took hold of the baby book and flipped through the pages before she pointed out a picture of a plain looking nursery, three of the walls painted white, while one wall where the crib was pushed against was painted a light pink. It was plain, but it stood out, and Bulma’s eyes lit up as she examined the design.

“That was my nursery?”

“Well, mostly. We added a few things. You know how I am.”

Bulma nodded absentmindedly as she fingered the picture. There were no cars, no fairies, and no mythical creatures to distract the attention from her baby. She wanted the room to be focused around her little one, not the other way around. It was perfect.

Now all she needed to know was the sex of her child to get started.

_oOo_

One month flew by.

Bulma stood outside the door, Yamcha just behind her with his camera, as they observed the now empty room that was to be the new nursery. Bulma squealed with joy as she took a step inside, Yamcha following her close as he recorded her movement.

“I see you’re excited!” He chuckled.

She nodded enthusiastically. Bulma had long given up on trying to stop them from recording her and now accepted it. When she caught Yamcha secretly recording her from around the corner of the hall, she just shook it off with a laugh and walked away, leaving her ex completely dumbfounded.

She was in too good of a mood and nothing could ruin it.

Two weeks ago, Bulma had returned from her gynecologist appointment to discover she was having a baby boy. Happily, she slipped Yamcha his winning money after they had placed a bet on the sex that day, and rubbed her stomach. She did not care that she lost. It was her baby; she’d love it if it had an extra arm and a limp in its walk.

Dressed in a baggy t-shirt and gray pants, Bulma left the room to retrieve the paint cans, yelling as she left, “Put that camera away and help me paint!”

Yamcha shook his head. “Why put it away when I have a tripod?”

Bulma came rushing back in as he began to set his tripod up near the doorway and she groaned. “Oh Kami, Yamcha! You are NOT going to record us painting!”

“Well why not?” He whined.

“Because, I gave you leeway to record me these last few weeks without complaint, this time, I draw the line!”

“But… but…”

“No!”

Yamcha scoffed and folded his arms in a pout as he watched his ex pour what looked like white paint into a pan. Smirking, he took the tripod with the camera attached and placed it in the doorway, setting the mode to record and walked back into the room. He rubbed his hands together. “Okay, what can I do?”

Silently, she handed him a paint roller to which he took and they both dipped them into the paint. “All these walls need to be primed. I’ll tackle this one, you get the other!” He nodded and they both began to concentrate on their work. A comfortable silence settled between the two, the only sound in the room was the sound of the paint rollers meeting the walls.

Bulma sighed.

It had been quite a long time since she could enjoy a good few minutes of quietness. The last few months had been too chaotic for her, but painting this room, she found enjoying.

Until Yamcha spoke.

“You know, you could just have one of your bots do this…”

She cringed, her teeth grinding together. “I know that! But, I want to do this myself!”

He stopped painting and cracked his shoulder, flinging the arm that held the paint roller out to stretch it, paint flying and hitting Bulma on the side of her face, neck, and arm. She gasped and turned to him with a glare.

“Yamcha, what the hell!” she screeched.

He stood there, his mouth hanging open, the paint roller held up as he stared at her in disbelief. Then, a smile cracked on his face and he began to laugh. Bulma growled and flung her own roller towards him, the paint on it flying off and hitting him directly in his face, splattering. His laughter stopped, while hers started. He lowered his roller into the paint and ran towards her, grasping her about the shoulders with his free arm and rolling the paint up her sides, her screams of laughter echoing throughout the room.

A half hour passed and two forms sat in the middle of the room, their bodies completely covered in paint. Their breaths were heavy with pants and the occasionally laughter broke the silence. Bulma laid back, her paint roller abandoned on the opposite side of the room, and she fingered her hair that was now plastered to her cheek.

“Great, this will take forever to get out!”

Yamcha chuckled. “You weren’t complaining a few minutes ago. I’m surprised you lasted as long as you did, preggers!”

Bulma rolled her eyes and hoisted herself up onto her elbows. “Just because I’ve gotten fatter doesn’t mean I’m no less lethal than I was when I wasn’t pregnant! Besides,” she huffed as she detached her hair from her face, “you started it.”

“Accidentally!”

“Doesn’t matter, you still were the cause!”

Yamcha threw his hands up in the air in defeat, but the smirk on his face gave away his playfulness. Bulma smiled and attempted to stand. Seeing her struggle, Yamcha got to his feet and offered her his arm. “Truce,” he said with a smirk.

She nodded and took his arm. She wiped her hands along her shirt, her eyes landing on the now empty pans. “You’re turn to buy the next primer, since you used it all on me!”

Yamcha scratched the back of his head, a small laugh escaping him as he made contact with the pans. “Yeah, I guess I owe you that…” He turned to see the clean video camera still recording in the doorway and smiled. There was a reason he brought that up to this room. He wanted some privacy with his ex and for good reason. He turned his head back to see her fingering her now dirty shirt and his eyes fell on her stomach.

It didn’t matter to him anymore that the kid wasn’t his. He had grown to love the child she carried as if it were his own. The day they came back from her first ultrasound was the day he decided what he was about to do. Yamcha took a step forward, his hand grasping her arm gently and her head snapped up to him, confused. She furrowed her brow when his hand slid down her arm to rest on her stomach, his eyes closed in concentration.

What in the hell was he doing?

Then, his eyes snapped open and he smiled softly at Bulma. He took her hands in his, sensing her confusion, and squeezed them reassuringly.

“I’ve had something I wanted to talk to you about for some time now…”

Bulma bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from ruining the one moment that seemed serious for him. He rarely wanted to talk to her about serious moments and this time seemed important.

_Oh Kami! What if he decided he can’t do this with me anymore? What am I going to do, who am I going to lean against?!_

“Bulma, I know we ended on bad terms… but…” He trailed off, nervousness beginning to settle within his stomach. “But with how good things are going between us, I was hoping you and I could start fresh again.”

Bulma’s eyes widened. She could tell where this was going and wanted to stop it immediately, but her mouth refused to open, her legs wouldn’t move. She was frozen. Why did he have to ruin this?!

“I know what you must be feeling, but I want you to know that you aren’t alone in this…”

_Please, Yamcha, stop…_

“And I think you are the strongest, bravest woman I’ve ever met…”

_No, no! I am not strong, I am not brave!_

“And I have never stopped loving you, no matter what terms we’re on!”

_Please, just shut up!_

“Watching you carry this baby has made me open my eyes to so much…”

_Why couldn’t you just keep you’re damn eyes closed?!_

“And realizing that I lost you once is something that I never want to go through again.”

_Don’t you dare say it!_

“Bulma…” Yamcha took a step back from her, too wrapped up in his speech to realize the panic stricken look on her face as he knelt on one knee before her. She watched as he dug deep into his pants pocket and pulled out a small velvety box, and her heart sunk.

_Kami, why me?!_

Yamcha swallow and with shaky hands, he opened the box to reveal a diamond encrusted ring, the oval gem in the middle shimmering in the light. The white gold band beautifully weaved like vines, and she couldn’t say a word as she stared at the piece of jewelry.

“Miss Bulma Briefs… I know this is sudden, but you are what I want. You and that baby. I’d do anything for you; I’ll be the perfect husband, father, lover, and friend. Please… Please, will you marry me?”

Bulma finally blinked and opened her mouth to give her answer, but no words could be said. How could you answer negatively to such a beautiful proposal? Her hands fisted tightly and tears sprung to her eyes. Yamcha smiled, misinterpreting her tears for joy. He stood; ready to cup her face for a kiss, when her father abruptly walked in, his breathing labored as if he had been running.

“Darling, you need to come down now!”

Yamcha pulled away from her, disappointed as he watched Bulma approach her father quickly, her hands steadying him.

“Daddy, what’s wrong?”

_Oh, thank Kami, I don’t think I could’ve handle another minute of that!_

Dr. Briefs smiled as he grasped his daughter’s arms. “We got a signal from Capsule 3, the gravity room!” Bulma’s frown only deepened at the meaning of the news. “Vegeta’s coming home!”

She pulled away from her father, her hands rubbing her stomach as her heart hammered in her chest.

How could she explain this to him?

Bulma left the room, the two men staring after her, one confused, while the other refrained from punching a hole into the wall he stood next to.

Now, she stood in front of the window in her bedroom, her head tilted as she gazed at the sky, her hands lazily drawing circles on her rounded stomach. She had no choice now. The decision had been made for her. It was up to her to face the consequence of the night they shared together. She only hoped Vegeta would react differently than she imagined him to.

_You’re about to meet your daddy, baby… I’m warning you. He’s not a pleasant person, but I’ll protect you._

_oOo_

_…TBC…_


	11. Chapter 10: Panic

Bulma paced back and forth in her room as she chewed on her nails, her anxiety through the roof. Just that morning, her father awoke her to inform her that Vegeta was about to enter Earth’s atmosphere and would be landing within a few hours. Her heart was hammering in her chest and butterflies were fluttering in the pit of her stomach. She did not expect him to be back so soon! He said five months, not four! He was a month early!

A little thump from within her stomach brought her out of her thoughts as she gazed down in amazement. She had yet to feel her baby move and was caught off guard by the feel of pressure within her stomach. Bulma placed her hand where she felt her son kick and her eyes widened when she felt something press against it.

Suddenly, Bulma began to panic. How was she going to explain this to Vegeta? How would he react? The only way she could imagine him reacting was just taking off again, abandoning her completely and never coming back. She couldn’t have that! But she couldn’t throw her pregnancy in his face after being separated from him for four months.

_Oh Kami, what do I do?_

Out of the corner of her eyes, hanging on the chair by her vanity, Bulma saw the oversized baseball jersey Yamcha had bought her for Christmas the last year and an idea struck her. The only reason she kept it was because it was comfortable to sleep in, but it had been too large for her to wear other than that. Without a second thought, Bulma pulled the jersey off the chair and threw it on, the shirt large enough to hide her bulging stomach.

For good measure, she pulled on it, stretching the shirt out more, then looked in the mirror to check her appearance and nodded. That would have to do.

“Bulma, dear? Will you come help me with these muff—oh!” Bunny stood in the doorway to Bulma’s room, watching as her daughter continued to stretch out the jersey while simultaneously checking her appearance. She giggled. “Sweetie, why are you wearing that large shirt? You can’t even see your stomach in it!”

Bulma smiled at that. “That, mother, is exactly the reason.”

Bunny tilted her head, confused. “I don’t understand. Why do you want to hide your stomach?” Then she gasped and approached her daughter, concerned clearly written on her face. “Oh, darling! You’re not worried your fat, are you?”

“ _What_? No!”  Bulma bit the inside of her cheek in annoyance, before she faced her mother fully. “I just… I don’t want him knowing about the baby yet, that’s all.”

“Why not, dear? He has a right to know; he is the father, after all.”

“I know that! But what if he suddenly decides to take off and leave me to deal with this on my own?” Bulma’s panicking surfaced, her breathing picking up as tears began to fill her eyes at all the ‘ _what ifs’_. “What if he thinks it was a _huge_ mistake and demands I get rid of my baby? What if he gets _so_ angry that he tries to kill me? What if—“

Bunny cut Bulma off as she cupped her tear-streaked face in her hands, shushing her. “Do not think that way! You need to be strong, love. You’ve carried this baby just fine without him for four months. If he leaves, you will be fine without him! And besides,” she smiled at her miserable looking daughter. “I don’t think Vegeta is the type of person to run away from his problems or his responsibilities. You need to give him the benefit of the doubt here, darling.” She began to wipe the tears away. “He doesn’t even know, yet. Give him a chance.”

Bulma took deep shaky breaths to calm herself. Her mother was right, but it still didn’t squash the little doubt that whispered in the back of her mind that Vegeta could and may leave if he knew. It comforted her to keep the jersey on and she wasn’t about to take it off anytime soon. So, instead of arguing, Bulma just nodded and put on a shaky smile for her mother before she once again turned to face the mirror, grasping a tissue off the vanity to dab at her eyes while she assessed her appearance once again.

She exhaled and after a few minutes of her mother rubbing her back, Bulma turned away from the mirror. “Will you please not say anything to him?”

“Bulma—“

“Mom, please! Let me explain to him when I’m good and ready,” she pleaded.

Bunny sighed and finally nodded. “All right but, I think you should tell him upfront and save yourself the stress.”

Sighing with relief, Bulma hugged her mother tightly. “Thanks, Mom!” As she was about to pull away, Bulma gasped in remembrance. “Oh! And the nursery! I know it’s finished and all, but can we… lock it up?”

For a moment, Bulma wanted to take the request back at her mother’s crest-fallen face. There were only a few times she had seen her mother so upset and she never liked it. Bunny was naturally bubbly and disappointing her hurt more than a getting a deep cut. But Bulma was still panicking and wanted to take no chances. Her mother only nodded; a frown on her face.

Bulma bit her bottom lip to keep it from quivering. “I’m sorry, Momma. It’s only temporary…”

Bunny shook her head, the frown now replaced with a small smile. “It’s all right, dear. I understand, though I don’t agree… Now,” She turned and began to leave the room, pulling a few keys on a key ring from her pocket, “why don’t you come help me with these muffins for Vegeta?”

“Sure,” Bulma replied as she watched her mother leave. She glanced over at the clock on her nightstand, which read a quarter past one, and rubbed her stomach before she stopped herself. That habit she would have to break when round Vegeta.

Unsure whether she would be able to pull off her plan, Bulma left her room.

_oOo_

“Please, Yamcha, I really don’t think we should be talking about this right now!”

“Well, why not? I think now is perfect!”

“Believe me, now is most definitely not perfect!”

“Bullshit it isn’t, B!”

Bulma let out an aggravated sigh as she marched down the hall. She had been counting down the hours till Vegeta returned, running a checklist through her mind of all the baby stuff she had bought and hiding it. She had been so distracted with her plan, she forgot she was originally avoiding Yamcha, whom found her outside the nursery door, throwing her baby books in the room and locking it up tight.

She stopped her determined march and turned to face Yamcha, now angry. “I don’t think you grasp the severity of my situation and I cannot deal with you right now! So I think its best you _go home_!”

Yamcha frowned. “You’re _kicking me out_? All I want is an answer!”

“ _Oh my Kami, Yamcha!_ I can’t give you one right now, for pete’s sake!” She turned away, ready to leave him behind in the lone hallway, when she heard him chuckle mockingly. Bulma gritted her teeth and prepared herself for whatever violent verbal attack he had prepared for her.

“You know what I think? You’re afraid of commitment! Here _I_ am, proposing to you, _willing_ to take care of you and _that_ child and you’re running _scared_! You _need_ me, Bulma, just admit it!” Yamcha blurted out, smirking as if he was the victor. He was crushed that she had yet to give him an answer to his proposal and knew she had been avoiding him, and he was angry that her time had been devoted on the return of Vegeta. He had been spoiled—having her all to himself—and let his mind and heart run away from him.

If only he had kept his distance and his mouth shut.

Bulma scoffed, and before she knew what she was doing, her hand was raised and flying through the air as her body turned, her palm meeting his cheek in a loud _smack,_ her mouth spewing the venom she had held in for the last several minutes he had been following her. “I’ve had it with you! All you _ever_ think about is _yourself_! You may think that you’re doing me a favor by proposing to me, but let’s get one thing straight here,” Yamcha took a step back at the force of her glare, his hand held to his stinging cheek, “you’re only in this,” she gestured to the space between them, “for yourself! Just like it’s always been in our relationship for _years!_ You think I can’t take care of myself without a _man_ ,” she spat distastefully, “to lean on, but guess what, honey? I can do just fine without _you_ or your _ring_.”

Yamcha stared at her, completely taken aback by her response. Without thinking he asked, “So… is that a no?” Before he cringed, mentally smacking himself for his stupidity.

Bulma rolled her eyes and walked away, her silence ringing with her answer.

_oOo_

The blue planet continued to get closer and closer as he stared out the small window of the simulator. Vegeta stood there with his typical scowl on his face and his arms crossed. He had planned a full five month training trip away from Earth, but he ran into a small problem. Fuel and resources; low on both and unable to continue on with his trip. He couldn’t even make it to the planet he had wanted to train on, the fuel capacity for the simulator didn’t hold enough for such a long journey. So he had to settle for a small planet close to Earth, one he had landed on and resided for two months.

To say he was irritated that his plan was ruined was an understatement, but now it no longer mattered.

He smirked at the thought before it was quickly wiped away as he entered the planet’s atmosphere, the ship shaking with the force of the pull towards the blue gem. Vegeta had contemplated his return to the backwater planet, his departure still fresh in his mind. He knew things between him and the blue haired onna were still unsettled and he was not looking forward to the reunion. The night before his departure was exactly what he needed to help him decide whether leaving or not was necessary, but the fact that she took more away from the experience made things much more difficult for him.

But, then again, why did he care?

He didn’t.

Vegeta turned away from the window and upped the gravity, deciding to throw in some last minute training before he landed. He needed a distraction. The onna had always been in the back of his mind for a reason unknown to him, and it bothered him.

His hand hovered over the engage button when his mind suddenly flashed. The feel of her silky skin against his, her breathy moans in his ears, and his name being screamed was too real for him. Vegeta growled before he balled his fist and slammed it down onto the button, the light flashing as the gravity was initiated. He may find the onna attractive and admitted silently that they had chemistry between the sheets, but this was unacceptable. He had better control of himself and of his mind.

A good long hard training session would remind him of that.

_oOo_

The hours passed, the muffins were made, and Bulma stood in the living room, pacing. The little exchange between her and Yamcha had left her more on edge than she originally was that morning. Her fingers were laced together in front of her, her thumbs twiddling together, before she pulled them apart and stretched her shirt out for the umpteenth time.

A part of her felt ashamed for hiding her pregnant belly, but another part of her, the irrational part was screaming louder, causing her to panic. Bulma didn’t want to take the chance of Vegeta finding out and taking off… or blasting her… She refused to risk her unborn child. In her eyes, this was a way of protecting her baby, but that small annoying voice in the back of her mind was whispering that she was only trying to protect herself.

 _Coward_ , it hissed. _You know he has a right to know, but you’re afraid._ Bulma smacked a hand to her head, trying to quiet the whispering, but to no avail. _What happened to the proud and unafraid Bulma Briefs?_

Bulma sighed as she clutched a hand to her head. “She’s running scared…”

“What was that, dear?”

Blinking in surprise, Bulma glanced over her shoulder to see her father standing in the archway to the living room, a smoking pipe in hand and Scratch upon his shoulder. When she shook her head and gave him a small smile, Dr. Briefs chuckled.

“Bulma? You remember what I told you about talking to yourself?”

She nodded with a sweet smile as she quoted her father’s words from when she was younger, “There’s a fine line between talking to yourself out of insanity and talking to yourself because you’re a genius…”

Dr. Briefs nodded approvingly. “All right, just wanted to make sure,” he said and Scratch meowed from his shoulder.

When he didn’t leave, Bulma turned to face him fully, the question written in her eyes.

“Did you need something, Daddy?”

Her father looked hesitant and immediately she was on her guard. The only times her father was ever hesitant was when he either had bad news or wanted her to work in the office in the city; which was also bad news.

“Dad? What is it?” She questioned, biting her lip in anticipation for whatever her father needed to say.

Dr. Briefs smiled gently at Bulma and took the pipe from his mouth. “I know what you’re planning to do,” He said simply and her eyes narrowed in confusion. When he glanced down towards her stomach, realization struck her. Of course. Her mother must’ve said something to her father after their little talk. “I just wanted to let you know… no matter what you decide to do from here on out, you’re mother and I fully support you.”

Bulma smiled gratefully and went to hug him.

“Thank you, Daddy…”

He rubbed her back gently before pulling away, grasping her by the shoulders. “That’s not all, princess… I just got a signal from the simulator.”

The feeling of butterflies fluttering in her stomach caused Bulma to inhale a shaky breath.

“Vegeta will be landing in fifteen minutes.”

_oOo_

Those minutes felt like hours to Bulma. She stood out on the lawn, staring up at the sky, a hand held over her eyes to protect them from the glaring sun as she awaited his landing. The feeling of butterflies never went away, but a sense of calm came over her. Right after her father announced the pending arrival of the Saiya-jin no Ouji, Bulma immediately took her place outside. She had been scoping the blue sky for any sign of him when she finally saw it.

It was small, barely noticeable, but it was there.

A small dot of light that shimmered just above her, and the moment her eyes landed on it, her heart skipped a beat.

That was him.

Suddenly, her sense of calm vanished and her free hand fisted the ends of her jersey shirt. A small thump was felt from within her stomach and Bulma was tempted to caress where she felt her baby. He was obviously reacting to her increased heart rate. Instead, she hummed softly to herself in hopes to calm both her and her agitated son down.

“Oh my! Is that him up there?” Bunny appeared next to Bulma, causing her to jump in surprise, before her daughter nodded affirmatively.

“Yeah… that’s him.”

Oblivious to her daughter’s lack of enthusiasm, Bunny squealed in delight. “Oh! This is just so exciting! Trunks!” Turning, Bunny dashed into the house, yelling for her husband and Bulma sighed. She knew her mother was excited, but for some reason, she couldn’t share the feeling. Vegeta’s return had been a sore thorn in her side, something she had been dreading the moment she discovered she was pregnant.

Not only was she forcing herself to hide her pregnant belly, but now, she had to act like nothing happened between them. How could she do that? Was it even possible?

Another thump was felt and Bulma shook her head.

_Quit it, girl. You’re upsetting your son!_

Five minutes passed by and both her parents stood in front of her; all three of them watching as the space craft got closer and closer. Bulma swallowed heavily. The closer he got to landing, the more nervous she became. Quickly, she wiped at her forehead, a small drop of sweat appearing and she took a deep breath. Glancing up, Bulma noticed her mother’s eyes on her and she attempted to smile reassuringly, but it only came out as a grimace.

“Deep breaths, darling,” Bunny stood next to her daughter and rubbed her back, breathing evenly with her. “You can do this.”

Bulma nodded and her head snapped up when she heard the loud hiss of the craft lowering to the ground. She never felt her mother’s hand leave her back, never noticed her father approach the large capsule to inspect for damage, and didn’t even jump when the door to the simulator cracked open with a thud before swinging completely open. Her eyes were wide and she stood stock still, but when nothing came out of the simulator, a slight irritation began to build within her.

Is he purposely trying to make her panic _more_? What an ass!

Another minute flew by and her nervousness was forgotten as Bulma placed her hands on her slender hips, her foot tapping repeatedly as she attempted to wait patiently for Vegeta to reveal himself.

_Oh my Kami, this is ridiculous! Why am I even waiting here?!_

Bulma huffed in annoyance, ready to turn and walk back into the compound when her mother squealed loudly.

“Oh my Kami!!”

Turning, she saw her mother jumping enthusiastically around the short being and her breath caught in her throat. There Vegeta stood, his arms folded as he ignored Bunny’s rants, his eyes on her. Had it really been four months since they last saw each other?

Bulma’s eyes roamed over his features, noting the slight changes to his physique, and took in a breath. He was definitely more built; from the distance she stood she could plainly see the ripples of his muscles as he flinched away from Bunny’s subtle touches and light taps. Her eyes took in his broad shoulders, down to his chiseled chest that was nearly exposed thanks to his torn shirt, down even lower to the tightness of his spandex shorts that fit even tighter than before.

She blushed before she peeled her eyes away. It had been too long since she last felt him and seeing how much he had changed caused a feeling she hadn’t felt in so long to stir within the pits of her stomach.

The feeling of eyes burning in the back of her head made Bulma look up and their eyes met across the lawn. They stared each other down and a slight panic was felt when his eyes left her to roam over her own body. What if he could feel the baby? Then what would she do? She glanced over to her mother, whom stood to the side with the tray of muffins gesturing for her to remain calm, and took a deep breath.

“Welcome back, Vegeta,” Bulma said with as much confidence she could muster, surprised at the level of calm in her voice.

He scowled when his eyes returned to her and grunted in response before bounding past her into the compound. The moment he was out of sight, Bulma let out a shaky breath and her mother smiled brightly at her.

“See?” Bunny started. “That’s wasn’t so bad!” She giggled before she hurried after Vegeta, rambling off something about his large Saiya-jin appetite before she disappeared.

Bulma shook her head as she watched her father continue to inspect the simulator, trying her best to ignore the gentle thumping from within her stomach. A slow smile spread across her lips as she released yet another long exhale before turning to walk back into the compound.

Maybe things would go smoothly after all.

_oOo_

Days passed and Bulma continued to wear the baggiest clothing she could find in her closet. So far, Vegeta had yet to notice anything out of the ordinary and Bulma gained hope, but a small thought of doubt always diminished her hopes of him staying.

Soon after his returned, Vegeta went back to his normal schedule, his encounters with Bulma were few and far between, something that was both reassuring to her and disappointing. It had been a long time since she felt his intimate touch and her hormones were starting to get out of hand. But she could do nothing but ignore them.

The one day, Bulma forced herself to leave the kitchen before she jumped Vegeta and demanded he take her on the counter; instead she headed for her bathroom for a long shower and some hand work. It had become a habit of hers since she became pregnant and Bulma refused to call Yamcha up for a late night bout between the sheets. She told herself she had better class and settled for the alternative.

Now, Bulma stood in front of her closet, searching for the baggiest article of clothing she could find that would hide her bulging stomach. It had amazed her that she was able to hide it; a part of her expected Vegeta to immediately notice the ki of her baby, but his obliviousness calmed her.

Bulma’s head snapped up when she heard pounding footsteps not too far down the hall and had a sinking feeling Vegeta was on his way to see her. Panicking, Bulma ducked into her closet, her hand reaching out to grab the farthest shirt she could get and threw it on. Looking down at herself, Bulma realized the shirt she had grabbed was her old paint shirt and growled. Though the shirt was baggy, it was also patterned with holes, especially around her stomach.

The door to her room swung open and bounced off the wall, causing Bulma to jump in surprise.

“Onna!” Vegeta yelled angrily.

Not knowing what to do, Bulma stood in her closet, her eyes flying from the room to her shirt and back again before she let out an “Eep!” when she looked up to see Vegeta standing in the doorway to her closet, his dark brow furrowed as he took in her appearance.

“Vegeta!! Never sneak up on a woman! It’s rude!” Bulma whined.

He scoffed. “I called, you didn’t answer. That hardly counts as sneaking, onna.” Vegeta crossed his arms and smirked as if he knew a secret she didn’t. “If I didn’t know better, I would say you were hiding from me.”

Bulma’s face paled. It did look bad, she admitted, and maybe she was hiding from him. Well, hiding _something_ from him, but there was no way in hell she would tell him that.

Unbeknownst to her, Vegeta had taken notice to her odd behavior and her new choice in fashion. At first, he thought nothing of it, but as the days went by, he became more curious. When he’d enter a room with her in it and she’d abruptly leave, Vegeta figured it was because she had yet to get over their one night together. However, her attitude towards him insisted she had gotten over that time and something else was up.

He knew she was hiding something; what it was, he didn’t know.

Bulma straightened her posture and met his arrogant gaze. Deep inside, she was panicking and feared her behavior had given her away, but on the outside, she stood strong and glared at the man before her.

“Next time, knock before you enter!” She screamed and brushed past him. “What the hell do you want anyway, you pompous jerk?!”

Vegeta cocked a brow at her choice of name for him, but said nothing about it as he turned to regard her. “The simulator needs repairs and upgrades.”

Her jaw slacked and her eyes widened.

“You’ve GOT to be joking!” When he continued to stare at her, Bulma huffed in annoyance. “That’s ridiculous, Vegeta! My father repaired that damn machine right after you came back! I’m not doing it!”

 _Not only am I not doing it, I can’t do it,_ Bulma thought as she subtly glanced down at her stomach, and adjusted her shirt so not to give anything away.

“I want it done by dinner tonight,” Vegeta demanded.

She gritted her teeth together.

_And I want you to kiss my ass, you bastard!_

“Fine!” Bulma bellowed, her fists clenched at her sides.

Her brow furrowed when he didn’t leave her room and she sighed exasperatedly. “Was there anything else, _your majesty_?” But he said nothing and it unnerved her. Bulma hated to be in Vegeta’s presence for any given length of time in fear he would sense her baby’s ki and the fact that he wasn’t leaving made her nervous. So, she stood and fidgeted with the ends of her tattered shirt, and observed Vegeta whom was observing her outfit expressionlessly.

They stood there, staring at each other for what seemed like hours, until Bulma jumped at the sound of his voice.

“Why must you wear such clothing?”

She blinked and looked down at her shirt and shrugged, feigning innocence.

Vegeta scowled and glared at her. “You’ve been acting out of sorts, onna. You are hiding something.”

Bulma paled at his words.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Vegeta.”

His stare made her uncomfortable and she began to fidget underneath it. Now she knew what his victims felt like when he fixed his stare upon them. It was cold and unrelenting. If only he knew what she was hiding. Unable to take his stare any longer, Bulma turned to leave the room quickly, calling over her shoulder, “You’ll have your simulator by dinner!” before she dashed down the hall.

Vegeta shook his head as he watched her go. She thought she was being evasive, but in actuality, she was emitting a guilty conscience. He knew she was hiding something from him and he intended to find out.

Smirking, Vegeta left her room, his pace steady and sure.

He loved a good challenge and Bulma was now presenting him with one.

_oOo_

_…TBC…_


	12. Chapter 11: Cat's out of the bag

He watched her out of the corner of his eyes like a lion eyeing its prey during a hunt.

She was hiding something; something that had to do with him, and he was going to find out what it was.

Vegeta sat at the head of the table, Bulma to his left, Bunny to his right, and Dr. Briefs at the other end. Silence ensued and it was almost unnerving… if anything unnerved the prince. He took another bite of his pancakes as he subtly observed the changes to the onna next to him.

One thing definitely stood out.

Her new wardrobe. Baggy t-shirts and sweatpants were common now for her, unlike her flashy attire she use to wear all those months ago. He took notice to the few holes that marred her latest garb, and knew it was unlike the onna to wear such apparel. He asked her outright just the other day why she chooses to wear what she did and she avoided the question entirely!

That was only _one_ red flag.

Vegeta also took notice to Bulma’s lack of attendance whenever he was around, and though he appreciated not being bothered by the wench, there were times he almost missed their daily banter just for the entertainment to get her mad. Her swiftness to leave a room upon seeing him in it set him on edge.

She was definitely _avoiding_ him.

That was another red flag.

Vegeta’s eyes drifted down to her plate and took in the amount of food she was eating. It was nearly as much as his first plate and his eyes almost bugged when he saw her reach over to grab another stack of pancakes. He knew she never ate as much before and it made him wonder when her appetite had change. She was no Saiya-jin and had absolutely no appetite near that of a Saiya-jin, but Vegeta knew what the normal portion size of a meal was for a human. She was eating nearly _twice_ as much as normal.

That was the _third_ red flag.

His eyes snapped back down to his meal, his face expressionless when he saw her head pop up to observe him. He heard her _humph_ , could almost see the frown on her face, and felt the tension radiate from her body. Another flag. He was making her uncomfortable. That was unusual. The only time Vegeta could remember Bulma ever being uncomfortable around him was on Namek… and even then she was as fierce as she was when she first took him in.

Bulma shifted in her seat, a grimace on her face as she placed her hands on the arms of the chair to adjust her position. Vegeta frowned as he watched out of the corner of his eyes. Not only did she seem uncomfortable around him, she just seemed plain uncomfortable.

What the hell happened while he was gone?

Why did he even care?

Nearly snorting, Vegeta’s only response to that was she was offering a challenge. She was hiding something that could be of value to him. That was all. There were few things Vegeta never tolerated and someone hiding valuable information, or valuables, was one of them. If it had _anything_ to do with his training, he knew he’d be furious. But he didn’t want to outright approach her on the subject. He wanted to catch her off guard.

Vegeta mentally smirked devilishly as he continued to observe Bulma as they ate.

Oh yes… It was exactly like a lion hunting its prey.

_oOo_

The moment breakfast was done, Vegeta watched in amusement as Bulma quickly excused herself from the table, her form disappearing down the hall toward her private lap in a rush. He wasn’t surprised and was quite use to her behavior at this point, but it only peaked his curiosity.

The onna he knew now and the onna he screwed before he left were now entirely two different people.

Vegeta frowned. He wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing or not. He stood from the table, and without offering to help clear the plates, he left for his gravity room, scowling the entire way. The onna was on his mind way too much for his liking and it was beginning to put him in a foul mood.

Shutting the door to the simulator, Vegeta made his way to the control panel and began to adjust the gravity. He blinked in surprise when the gravity revved up, only to shut down completely. Frowning, he glanced down at the panel to see it smoking, his hands fisting in anger.

_That damned woman and her fucking machine! Can’t she do anything right?!_

Grunting, Vegeta marched out of the simulator without bothering to close the door. He passed the dining room where Bunny continued to clean the table along with a few bots and strode down the long corridor towards the onna’s private lab. Raising his hand, he went to push the door open only to find it locked tight.

Vegeta blinked.

What the hell? Her lab was almost never locked! Vegeta frowned deeply and knocked harshly on the large doors, his pounding resounding throughout the hallways.

“Onna!” He bellowed. “Open up, this instant!”

He stopped his knocking when he heard movement behind the doors, then his frowned deepened when he heard a few muffled curses, then a loud “Go away, Vegeta!!”

He scoffed. “Whatever it is you are hiding, I will find out, onna! Now let me in at once!”

“Fuck off!”

Vegeta’s eyes widened a bit. _Fuck off?_ No one told the prince to _fuck off_ and ever lived afterwards. His eyes narrowed and he raised a single hand towards the door, ready to blow it off its hinges.

“Onna…” His voice was unusually calm; a deadly calm. “I will give you ten seconds to let me in or I will force my way in.”

Silence on the other side, then a quiet “yeah right, you’re just bluffing,” was heard.

“ONE!”

More silence.

“TWO! THREE!”

A sudden “eep!” of surprise could be heard as Bulma realized Vegeta was, in fact, not bluffing. He could hear more movement behind the doors as he continued to count, his hand still leveled towards the door in preparation.

“SEVEN!”

“All right, all right! Jeez!”  Several locks were turned and the door swung open to reveal a disheveled Bulma, her clothes wrinkled as if she had just thrown them on after allowing them to lie on the floor. He took in her appearance with a studious eye as he lowered his arm slowly, then his eyes snapped to hers furiously.

Bulma gasped in surprise as his hand encircled her throat tightly, almost cutting her airway off and he backed her up against the nearby wall, his arm outstretched, keeping her at a distance as he stared in her eyes coldly.

“You need to learn some respect, wench! I am the Saiya-jin no Ouji, no one speaks to me in such a way and lives!” His hand tightened a fraction, and Bulma flashed back to when he backed her against the wall in the hallway all those months ago, his hand, then, was also around her throat in a threatening embrace. She met his cold gaze and realized that now, he was indeed serious.

Shit!

Bulma took in another gulp full of air in a panic as his hand tighten a little more, her own hands clawing at his one in a desperate attempt to be released. He was much stronger than her and definitely had the upper hand, and Bulma felt helpless as he continued to squeeze at her throat.

Until she felt it.

A sudden frantic thumping in Bulma’s lower stomach made the decision for her, and her eyes narrowed dangerously at Vegeta. He may not know about his unborn child, but damn it, she would rather burn in hell than allow him to harm her baby.

Letting go of his arm, Bulma pulled her hand back as if to smack him, only to bring it forward, her hand formed in a claw as she brought it down on his face, her nails digging into his skin and dragging. Immediately, he dropped her as he backed away in surprise, bringing his own hand to the side of his face to feel the claw marks she left in her wake, and see blood on his fingertips. She stood against the wall, gasping for sweet air as she glared at him.

“I don’t give a shit,” she said in between pants, “who you are! But I will never,” she stopped take in another deep breath, her throat starting to ache, “allow anyone to handle me in such a manner as you just did!”

Bulma pushed herself from the wall and began to leave the room slowly. She stopped once she reached the doors to her lab.

“I know what you came to see me for, but you can find someone else to fix your fucking machine, Vegeta.”

Absentmindedly, Bulma began to caress her large stomach in a calming manner, her baby still kicking frantically, as she left the room.

Unbeknownst to her, Vegeta watched her exit, his mouth frowning as he witnessed the caress on her stomach. Then his eyes bulged as the shirt got tugged during the movement, giving him a partial view to her large stomach.

Of course! Now it all made sense. The large appetite, the baggy clothing, her lack of comfort…

The fucking onna went and got herself knocked up!

His frown deepened.

But who was the father?

_oOo_

Vegeta paced in his room.

The wench was pregnant… and she was hiding it from him.

But why?

His arms crossed over his chest as he continued his pace. And yet, the situation still begged the question; who was the father? A slight panic bubbled in Vegeta’s stomach as he considered the possibility of the child being his. It was entirely possible. They did sleep together… And he hadn’t seen her for over four months.

But it was only one time! Surely this race didn’t get pregnant after one bout of lust between the sheets? No, that would be incredibly ridiculous! What kind of race got pregnant _that_ easily?

 _Are their females that fertile?_ Vegeta’s brow perked and then he shook his head. What a ridiculous question!

No. He couldn’t be the father. He refused to jump to such conclusions when he didn’t have all the facts. The only way Vegeta would get his answer would be the hard way…

Touching Bulma’s stomach.

_oOo_

Bulma marched down the hall, angrily bumping into employees as she passed them by, her hand still cradling her stomach in a protective manner. She hadn’t really meant to tell him to fuck off, it just slipped out, but she refused to apologize. And it didn’t justify _his_ actions either!

She was pregnant for Kami’s sake! Couldn’t he realize she was being temperamental because of it?

Bulma blinked as her steps slowed. Vegeta didn’t know about her pregnancy, therefore, he couldn’t realize her reasons for flying off the handle like she did. However, it didn’t explain why he flew off the handle either. Not once since she knew him had he ever went _that_ far.

Sure, he’d threaten her life, but in her eyes, they were just empty threats. In that one moment though, where he held her against the wall with his hand tightening around her throat, Bulma could feel that his threat, then, was real.

She scowled. Now she was pissed again.

Just then, Bulma’s stomach grumbled and she frowned.

Now she was hungry…

Rolling her eyes and putting her thoughts of Vegeta aside, Bulma turned in the opposite direction and made her way to the main part of the compound. She felt so hungry now; it was as if she hadn’t eaten in days, even though she ate only an hour before. Sighing, Bulma opened the fridge and began rummaging through the various foods stored in there, cursing the side effects of her pregnancy.

Another sigh escaped her now, this one exasperated and frustrated. Nothing looked good and it turned her stomach the wrong way.

She bit her lip. “I want something… salty…”

A bag of pretzels on top of the fridge caught her eye. Opening the bag, she ate a few pieces only to grimace and throw the bag of pretzels aside. They weren’t stale; they just weren’t appealing what-so-ever.

“This sucks!”

“What’s the matter, darling?”

Turning, Bulma caught sight of her mother standing in the doorway of the kitchen, eyeing her knowingly.

“Got cravings?”

“No! I just can’t find anything that sounds appealing to me!”

Bunny chuckled and shook her head. “Oh, that baby of yours sure has a healthy appetite!”

Bulma’s eyes widened and she made a shushing motion. “Shush, mother! You never know where Vegeta might be lurking!”

“Oh, come now, Bulma. You need to get over this nonsense and just tell him.”

Frowning, she muttered stubbornly, “I’ll tell him when I damn well please!”

Bunny sighed and gently pushed Bulma to the side, and opened the fridge. “Is there anything in particular you want?”

“That’s the thing, mom. Nothing sounds good to me at all!” Bulma crossed her arms and glared at the offending fridge. “This morning I had to force myself to swallow those pancakes!”

Her mother chuckled. “Well, that’s normal, sweetie!” Bulma watched in awe as Bunny gather a few ingredients. “Why don’t you go relax?” She frowned at the look her mother was suddenly giving her, making her feel like a twelve year old girl again, “If I remember correctly, you shouldn’t even be working, young lady!”

“You know what my response is going to be, mother.”

“Yes, yes, of course, darling, but you also must take into account what your doctor told you. Now go put your swollen feet up and relax while I make you a snack!”

Grumbling, Bulma left the kitchen. Her feet had been swollen and aching, but it wasn’t going to stop her from working in her lab. She refused to listen to her doctor.

_High blood pressure, my ass! I feel just fine!_

Just before Vegeta’s return, Bulma visited the doctor for her occasional dizzy spells only to find out she had gestational hypertension. At first, the big word made Bulma panic, especially when _chronic high blood pressure_ and _preeclampsia_ was thrown into the mix. Then, her doctor gave her orders to have as much bed rest as she could get till she gave birth and avoid anything stressful; which meant no work, causing Bulma to frown disapprovingly.

But that wasn’t the only thing Bulma had to avoid.

Vegeta.

No matter how much she enjoyed arguing with him, she knew bringing up her pregnancy would bring unwanted stress on her body and tension between the two. So, instead of dealing with it and getting the situation out of the way… She did the adult thing.

She ignored the problem.

Shaking her head, Bulma huffed as she took a seat on the couch and switched the television on. Unbeknownst to the household, she had been sneaking into her labs and working on small projects here and there. What did they expect her to do? Be barefoot and pregnant with her feet kicked up on a pillow until the kid popped out?

Bulma snickered as an image of her dressed in a muumuu with her bare feet propped up on a soft pillow fluttered through her mind.

_Like that’s ever going to happen!_

Her thoughts were interrupted as a soft knocked sounded from the front door. Her eyes narrowed as she heaved herself off the couch and yelled out to her mother, “Hey mom! You’re not expecting anyone are you?!”

From the kitchen she heard a faint “No, dear!” and she shrugged before making her way to the door. If anything, it was probably another salesman, trying to buy his way into the company with some stupid product he came up with. Bulma shook her head as she grasped the doorknob. They’ve had one too many of those jerks.

Swinging the door open, Bulma prepared herself for the salesman on the other side, only to narrow her eyes dangerously at who she came face to face with.

“What are you doing here?” She asked, letting a bit of venom drip into her voice as she spoke.

There, stood before her, was Yamcha. His hands tucked deeply into his pockets, his head lowered somewhat in a shameful manner at the sound of her voice, and a slight frown marring his scarred face. This was certainly a surprise.

Not a good one, however.

“Can I come in?” He asked softly.

Bulma perked a brow at his question, but neither answered nor moved from the door. Yamcha sighed and nodded. He should’ve expected this, but in actuality, he didn’t. He had this perfectly planned; knock on the door, ask to be invited in, apologize about the ring, play the friend card, and hug it out. Her silent rejection was not a part of the plan and he was mentally scolding himself. He knew Bulma and he knew how stubborn she could be.

The silence stretched for a few seconds and it was uncomfortable. It was time to switch tactics. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the simulator and his frown deepened before he turned his attention back to her.

“I see Vegeta’s back,” He stated as he gestured to the giant domed ship planted in the middle of her front lawn. She nodded and crossed her arms, and still said nothing. Silent treatment it was, then. He’d been dealt that painful torture before, once when he talked to a girl (more like flirted) in front of her at a baseball game without introducing her, and then kissing the strange girl on the cheek, just a little too close to the lips for Bulma’s taste, and another time when he cheated on her with that very same girl. After that, he hadn’t heard from her for six months, his calls went unanswered and his gifts were always sent back.

Yamcha swallowed and rubbed the back of his neck as the tension between them thickened.

“Look, I came to apologize. Can we—“

“ _Apologize?”_ Bulma interrupted. Her arms uncrossed as her hands rested on her firm hips and she glared coldly at him. “It’s really hard to believe that you came here to _apologize_!”

“Well, I did, so you can either listen to what I have to say or I can just leave! At least I’m being the bigger person, here!” Yamcha retorted and then a proud smirk appeared on his face as he witnessed her shocked expression.

That didn’t happen often, but when it did, damn did it feel good!

Bulma grumbled before she held the door open for him and then closed it behind them. Rubbing her stomach reassuringly, she walked after him into the living room, not looking forward to the conversation they were about to have.

But she did have to admit, at least he _was_ apologizing.

_oOo_

Vegeta made his way down the steps. It had been a good two hours since he discovered Bulma’s little secret and it had been driving him nuts. After a good long shower and a nice meditation on his balcony, his mind had finally settled and his stomach began to grumble.

However, his descent halted at the sight that greeted. Bulma and Yamcha stood in the entrance to the living room, holding each other in what seemed like a loving embrace and Vegeta frowned. He remained silent, his brow furrowing in both anger and confusion.

Why in the hell was _that_ weakling here?

Vegeta’s eyes snapped down to their hands, noticing movement, and his frown deepened as he witnessed Yamcha’s hands slowly rub from Bulma’s back to her belly in a gentle manner and Vegeta shook his head.

Now he had his answer.

The damn weakling was here for the child.

Maybe it was his after all.

Ignoring his growling stomach, Vegeta turned away from the sickening sight and made his way back up the stairs, lingering at the top and out of sight as he heard whispers from the direction of the living room.

“When are you going to tell him?” Yamcha whispered.

Vegeta heard no answer, but he could imagine the onna shrugging at the question. Tell who what? His ears perked up at the sound of Bulma’s soft voice.

“I don’t know, Yamcha… I just want to avoid it all.” He could hear her sigh and some shuffling of feet, and the voices were a bit clearer than they were before. They were closer now. “The doctors told me I have gestational hypertension and I’m afraid if I tell him… I’ll hurt the baby or myself.”

“What’s gestational hypertension?”

Another sigh, this one sounding aggravated. “Basically, I have high blood pressure.” A moment of silence and then, “It means it’s not good for me or the baby!”

“Oh…”

“Yeah, anyway…” More shuffling of feet and the voices muffled somewhat. “Now you see why I don’t want to tell him!”

“Because he stresses you out?”

“And a point goes to Captain Obvious.”

Vegeta turned away from the stairs. He knew they were talking about him and it irritated him to no end, but he refused to approach her while the weakling was present.

No. He’d have to corner her later.

_oOo_

Later that night, Vegeta was walking down the hall towards his room. After spending those few minutes eavesdropping, Vegeta went back to his room, only to jump from his balcony to the ground below and spent the rest of the day training in the woods away from Capsule Corp. As he turned the corner he saw Bulma coming out of a room that wasn’t hers and he smirked.

Now was the perfect time.

He silently approached her from behind as she locked the door with a silver key and waited for her to notice him. She turned around, ready to make her way back to her room only to squeal in surprise, her back against the door and she frowned.

“What the hell, Vegeta?!” Bulma screamed frantically. “You don’t just sneak up on people like that, it’s rude!”

Vegeta chuckled and folded her arms as he stared down at her condescendingly. “I have questions, onna.”

A brow perked in curiosity. “Oh?”

He nodded once. “You will give me answers.”

Bulma frowned. “How are you so sure I have the answers for those questions?”

“I have a pretty good hunch that you do,” He replied smugly.

She eyed him before pushing herself away from the door, pocketing the small key subtly. A heavy feeling settled in her gut. He just had to catch her as she was coming out of the nursery, didn’t he? Soon after the heavy feeling came, panic surely followed. What if it was about the baby? Oh Kami, what if he knew?

What was she going to do?

Suddenly, Bulma began to feel dizzy, her heart was beating too fast as she worked herself up into a frenzy and she leaned against the door once more, taking deep breaths. “Can… we do this later? I’m not feeling too good, Vegeta.” Without waiting for his response, she pushed herself away from the door one more time and made her way to her room, closing the door behind her with a slam that was unintentional.

She sat on her bed, taking deep breaths to lower her heart rate only to jump when her door swung open. Vegeta made his way into her room, scowling disapprovingly, and stood before her in his typical stance.

“This cannot wait till later, onna! I demand answers!”

She sighed exasperatedly. “To what, Vegeta?! Just spit it out so I can go to bed!”

“You are pregnant,” He bluntly stated and her whole form froze. Normally, Vegeta would’ve found her wide, saucer like eyes amusing, but in this case, it wasn’t. He knew he was treading on dangerous waters, but he lived for danger and he didn’t care.

Finally, after what seemed like hours of silence, Bulma opened her mouth to speak, only to stutter nervously. “H-h-how… I-I mean… W-when…” Her hands fisted the sheets beneath her in both frustration and nervousness as she struggled to get her sentences straight, but it was useless. This was the last thing she wanted Vegeta to know, and he had found out all on his own.

Vegeta smirked at her stuttering. It wasn’t often he was able to render the genius speechless and when he was able to, he reveled in it.

“How did I find out?”

She dumbly nodded.

He shrugged. “I have my ways.” There was no way he was going to tell her he knew because of her. He’d rather leave her guessing and see her squirm a bit more.

At his words, Bulma’s eyes narrowed, her nervousness, though not gone, had dimmed somewhat. “Were you SPYING on me?!”

Vegeta laughed darkly. “Please, onna! Don’t be absurd!”

“Then HOW?!”

Again, Vegeta shrugged. “It does not matter how I know. What matters is that you are hiding it.” He stared at her, his eyes intimidating.

Bulma sighed and slowly stood. Now that he knew, there was no reason for her baggy clothing, so she made her way to the closet for different attire, muttering along the way. “I can’t believe you found out…” Once in her closet, she threw her baggy shirt to the floor before digging to the back of her closet where she hide her maternity clothing, pulling out a light blue shirt and slipping it on.

“You are wasting my time, onna!”

“Give me a minute, Kami, Vegeta! Learn some patience!”

A low growl could be heard from her room and she rolled her eyes while simultaneously taking deep breaths to keep herself calm. Finally, after a few minutes, she emerged from her closet in new clothes and she crossed her arms, mimicking Vegeta’s stance. “I have my reasons for not telling you.”

Vegeta frowned. That was it? She had her reasons? Well, that wasn’t good enough!

“Elaborate, onna.”

“Why?”

“Fine, if you’re going to be difficult.” He marched up to her and Bulma blinked in surprise as Vegeta placed a hand on her swollen stomach. He would’ve rather hearing it from her, but she wanted to be difficult.

He needed to know.

The moment his hand made contact with her stomach, Vegeta’s eyes widened. Impossible. There couldn’t be a way! The ki of the child’s was already that of a low-level Saiya-jin and he could feel it growing.

It couldn’t be though…

But there was no mistaking the evidence. The child’s ki spoke the truth and Vegeta stared down at Bulma’s stomach in complete shock. The baby was his and it was a boy. He could distinctly tell just from the ki that he would be having a son.

Not knowing what he was doing, Bulma placed her hands on his chest and, with all the strength she could muster, she pushed him away, though it was like pushing a rock. Vegeta blinked up at her before he scowled again and backed away completely.

“What the hell, Vegeta?” Bulma yelled as she rubbed her stomach. She wasn’t sure what he was doing and though he hadn’t hurt her, she still felt a need to protect the life within her, no matter how ridiculous the situation was.

Vegeta, however, said nothing. They stared each other down, before once again, his eyes landed on her stomach. Bulma’s eyes narrowed in confusion at the many emotions she could see flutter through across his face, but before she could make anything of it, Vegeta stood straight and left the room quickly without uttering a word.

She watched him leave, speechless, before she rubbed her stomach gently, feeling the gentle thumping of her baby from within.

“Cat’s out of the bag, huh, baby?”

_oOo_

_…TBC…_


	13. Chapter 12: A Promise from a Fallen Prince

Vegeta grumbled as he punched rapidly at the air. He knew that by now, he should’ve let it go, but for reasons unknown to him, he couldn’t. Ever since he found out about the onna’s pregnancy, he avoided her like the plague out of sheer anger… and somewhat out of disgust.

He had disgraced his own kind, just like that damn third-class, by siring a half-breed and tainting his pure royal bloodline.

However, he couldn’t help but think… How else was he to carry on his heritage? Sure, he never thought about bearing children before and always assumed he was the last of his line. And as that thought crossed his mind, he pondered that this was the only way to carry on a great race… even if it meant tainting his bloodline.

Vegeta shuddered at that thought.

It wasn’t pleasant to think about, but now he was stuck with a hybrid son and no way to escape. He refused to be like his father.

Which meant only one thing.

Vegeta frowned as he came to a conclusion. _He couldn’t leave_. He was stuck on this mudball planet for good now. Turning back towards the compound, he saw through the window the blue-haired onna talking on the phone with a smile, a hand on her large stomach that she no longer hid, since there really was no point to it anymore, and his eyes narrowed. This also meant he had to interact with the mother of his child.

There was no avoiding it. If he couldn’t avoid his son, he most definitely wasn’t going to be able to avoid her. She came with the package. A package he never asked for to begin with.

_Damn fertile females!_

The only thing Vegeta concluded as he continued to watch the onna was that she somehow tricked him into impregnating her. It may not be a rational thought, but it comforted him nonetheless. He knew how devious she could be. Maybe it was her plan all along to get pregnant by him so she could trap him on this planet.

The more he thought about that, the angrier he got.

Turning away from the window, Vegeta marched towards the gravity simulator, his steps heavy to exert his anger, and he slammed the door shut, locking it tight. He then made his way to the control panel, kicking the level of gravity from 500gs to 800gs. It was a hefty jump, but he needed to take his anger out on something. His hand hovered over the _initiate gravity_ button as he hesitated, but only for a second, before he slammed the palm of his hand down on the white button, the gravity instantly kicking in, forcing him onto his hands and knees with a painful groan.

It felt like thousands of tons had been dropped on his body and he was unable to move it.

Groaning, he began to force himself to a kneeling position, panting heavily, and sweat already building up and dripping from his face. Without using the control panel as a crutch, he slowly, but surely stood, his legs shaking with the force of the gravity on his shoulders, and he turned to the control panel, pressing the button to activate the bots.

Immediately, red lights flooded the room as the bots came to life and floated from the ground, ready to attack.

Taking in a deep breath, Vegeta flared his ki, igniting a battle between him and the bots that was sure to work out any frustrations he felt at that moment, the onna and the unborn child no longer at the forefront of his mind.

_oOo_

Bulma sighed exasperatedly into the phone. “I know! You don’t need to lecture me on this…”

On the other line, she heard Chi-Chi chuckle. “It’s not a lecture when it’s the truth! Besides, it took you a while to tell me! Just think how he felt when you hid it from him!” Then, Chi-Chi muttered low, “I bet he was emotionless.”

Frowning, Bulma ignored her last statement and grumbled, “Since when did you decide to become so wise and nosey?” She held the phone away from her ear, giving it a good glare, imagining the handheld as Chi-Chi, and instantly felt ridiculous. They had been discussing the recent events with Vegeta, when Chi-Chi decided to add her two cents. She claimed that Bulma had acted irrational and should’ve been upfront with him the moment he arrived, after she yelled that it was what he deserved after ditching her for four months to go on an outer space voyage. Bulma just chuckled at that.

“Since you decided to tell me every single detail about you and Vegeta… Although, I have to question why you would ever want to sleep with a murderer like him?”

“Chi, he’s not like that anymore!” She argued. “You have to cut him a break; he’s helping us with the androids.”

Chi-Chi scoffed. “I don’t have to cut him anything! He tried to KILL us all at one point in time! Who’s to say he won’t try to do it again?”

Bulma rolled her eyes as they drifted over to the window where she saw Vegeta stomping to the simulator rather angrily. She frowned, and then shrugged.

_Who knows what’s going on in that man’s head!_

Rubbing her stomach, Bulma retorted, “I can honestly say he’s changed.” At the sound of Chi-Chi’s cackle, Bulma held the phone away from her ear, rubbing it with her free hand.

“Oh Kami! That’s a good one, Bulma! I think you’re pregnancy is getting to your head!”

Bulma’s frown deepened. It was the reason she came to her conclusion that he changed. Hiding her pregnancy from Vegeta, she decided, wasn’t entirely smart. And she feared, after he discovered her pregnancy, that he would definitely kill her. But, the moment his hand touched her round stomach, the look on his face spoke louder that any words could.

He was terrified.

And it made Bulma’s heart swell.

She had expected him to say something to her in that moment, but when he left without saying a word, she just smiled and rubbed her stomach.

Vegeta had changed.

Instead of arguing, she simply said, “I’ll let you believe what you want, Chi.” And they left it at that.

“So, do you want me to bring any type of dish to your baby shower?” Chi-Chi asked, turning the conversation into another unpleasant route.

_Oh yeah… The baby shower. I was hoping everyone had forgotten about it._

Bulma glanced behind her towards the kitchen where her mother currently was cooking and replied, “I doubt we’ll need it, but I’ll leave that up to you. My mother’s been preparing for the shower for the last several days.” She frowned as she wobbled her way back to the couch and took a seat. “To tell you the truth, I could really care less about this shower.”

“WHAT?!” Chi-Chi screeched into the phone. “What do you mean, you could care _less_?! That is absolutely ridiculous, Bulma Briefs! This is your first child, you better be excited for this shower!”

_And if Vegeta has his way, it’ll be my only child too…_

Bulma shrugged and picked at her nails nervously. “I just don’t think that having a shower is a good idea right now,” She stated. “I mean, with the androids coming—“

“Now you stop that right now!” Chi-Chi cut her off angrily. “The androids are under a year away and I know as well as you that everyone has been training their asses off for that day, and they could all use a break! This party is a great excuse to get everyone together before then!”

“But—“

“But nothing! You’re shower is tomorrow and I will not hear another complaint out of you before or during the party!” Slyly, Chi-Chi slipped in, “Do you really want to upset your mother whose been working so hard to get this party together?”

Bulma frowned at the knowing guilt trip. She knew Chi-Chi was right; she just didn’t want to admit to it. Her mother had been working rather hard at preparing a baby shower at the last minute; sending the invitations out only three days before, and the knowledge of that made Bulma shut her mouth in less than a second.

The moment her mother had found out Vegeta knew about the pregnancy, the idea of a baby shower was too irresistible, and the plans were immediately set in motion. Of course, Bunny had made it Bulma’s responsibility to inform Vegeta of the day… which she had yet to do.

Knowing Chi-Chi had made a direct hit, she stated sweetly, “You know, I _really_ think I should bring an extra dish. I know your mother makes a lot of food, but with how much Goku eats, it’s better to be safe than sorry!”

Bulma sighed. “I guess if that’s what you want.”

“So, have you told Mr. Grumpy Pants about the party yet?”

Bulma instantly frowned, her eyes landing on the simulator, the red lights flashing from the small windows in the dome.

“Not yet,” She grumbled. “I guess I have to tell him today, since the shower’s tomorrow…”

Chi-Chi laughed knowingly. “Good luck with that! I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Bulma muttered a goodbye before hanging the phone up, her eyes still settled on the simulator.

_I already know what he’s going to say…_

“ _Stupid Earth customs_ ,” Bulma grumbled, imitating Vegeta’s voice. She huffed off the couch; her legs shoulder length apart to balance herself as she stood. “ _I’m not going, onna! I’m the Saiya-jin no Ouji, bow down and kiss my ass like the servant you are_ and blah blah blah! Stupid prince,” she complained in her normal voice, “stupid good looks, stupid androids, stupid baby shower!”

Leaving the living room, Bulma wobbled her way towards the front door, and then to the simulator, a deep frown on her face as she continued to mutter to herself. “Everything’s just stupid!” Suddenly, tears began to form in her eyes. “This is all that stupid kid from the future’s fault!” Out of nowhere, her stomach growled loudly and she glared down at it. “Stupid stomach! I just fucking fed you an hour ago!”

Bulma began stomping, or attempting to stomp, her way to the simulator, the tears finally brimming over and dripping from her cheeks. “No wonder I’m so fat! This stupid pregnancy is making me want to eat everything that crosses my path!” She began to sniffle as she lifted her hand to knock on the door.

“Stupid Chi-Chi and her stupid wiseness!” Her stomach growled once more and she gritted her teeth. “No! I’m not feeding you again, you stupid stomach! No wonder Vegeta wants nothing to do with me, I’m too fucking fat for him now!”

When he didn’t answer to her first knock, she banged harder and more persistent.

Not having to wait much longer, the simulator’s engine whirled down, the red lights turning off, and suddenly Bulma could hear a muttering of curses from inside the dome. Then, finally, the door swung open, Vegeta’s arms folded as he glared angrily at the onna before him.

“What? Can’t you see that I’m training, onna…” He trailed off at the sight of her tears, suddenly feeling uncomfortable with a weeping female before him.

“Training? I’m having a baby shower tomorrow and all you care about is training?! This is OUR son Vegeta!” Bulma began hysterically, her hormones getting the best of her. “Why can’t you think about someone other than yourself for _once_? _Kami!_ ” Frustrated and angry, she brushed the tears from her cheeks harshly.

Blinking in surprise, Vegeta furrowed his brow and scowled. Dealing with a weeping woman wasn’t new to him, but he was only use to the weeping when it was down at his feet, the women begging for their lives to be spared. This, however, was new territory.

And he had no clue how to stop it.

So, Vegeta did the only thing he knew best. He scoffed. “Whatever this _baby shower_ is,” he began, spitting the words ‘baby shower’ out as if it were a disease, “I want no part in it, nor will I have no part in it!” Before he turned, he took one last look at the onna. “Don’t interrupt my training again.” And he slammed the door in her face.

Bulma stared at the door before she huffed angrily, her foot stomping on the ground like a small child in a tantrum and she screamed out, “Fine! Don’t be there for your son, you heartless bastard!” and she waddled away from the door, leaving Vegeta to his training.

_oOo_

“Bulma, honey… What’s wrong?”

“Huh?” Looking up, Bulma saw her mother standing over her with a tray of cookies, a small smile on her face with underlining worry. She shrugged and continued to stare at the interesting spot on the floor, sighing out, “Nothing.”

Bunny shook her head and she sat the tray of cookies down on the coffee table. “It’s obviously something. What’s bothering you, dear? Is it the party?”

Bulma winced and looked away. “No,” she lied. She frowned when she heard her mother chuckle.

Of course, her mother knew when she was lying, so why did she ever bother? Turning back to face Bunny, she hesitantly nodded. “Okay… It is the party… But not entirely.”

“What happened with Vegeta?”

Again, Bulma frowned. How did she do that? Looking up at her mother in surprise, she asked, “What makes you think this is about Vegeta?”

Bunny chuckled before leaning forward to grab a chocolate chip cookie and breaking it in half, giving the other half to Bulma. “I’m a mother. You are my daughter. I know when something is bothering you. It’s my job to know when something is bothering you.”

Bulma took the halved cookie and bite off the corner. She should’ve known her mother knew. The only time Bunny ever made chocolate chip cookies was when Bulma was upset about something. It was comfort food.

Sighing, Bulma muttered, “He doesn’t want to come tomorrow.”

Taking a bite of her own cookie, Bunny replied “What makes you say that, sweetheart?”

“He told me in his own words that he’d have no part in it,” Bulma growled out. “It’s just a baby shower, for Kami’s sake!” She stopped her complaining when her mother patted her knee.

“Did you ever consider that he may not know what a baby shower is?” Bunny smiled gently. “Sweetie, you have to realize that he’s not of this world. He probably doesn’t understand our customs.”

Bulma scoffed. “Even if I did explain it to him, he still wouldn’t go!”

“So, you didn’t tell him what a baby shower was,” Bunny concluded and shook her head. She sighed and leaned closer to her daughter, her hand squeezing Bulma’s knee gently. “I know that Vegeta can be quite stubborn, but I think that he may surprise you. Look at how he took the news of your pregnancy, love.” Bunny grabbed another cookie, this time, handing the whole cookie to Bulma with a smile, her smile growing at her daughter’s deep frown. “You should explain it to him. You never know, he may just show up.”

With another gentle squeeze and a soft pat to the knee, Bunny stood and left, leaving her daughter to consider her words.

Bulma munched on the cookie, her frown still in place as she watched her mother leave. There were times when her mother surprised her. The façade Bunny put on always gave people the impression she was a ditzy airheaded woman whom married a very rich and very intelligent man, but they didn’t know the _real_ Bunny. That woman had brains too, and many did not know, but quite a few of the inventions Dr. Trunks Briefs created were ideas his wife had thought up.

It made Bulma want to smile… even though she was quite irritated.

Her mother was right.

She never did explain the meaning of the party to Vegeta; instead, she just blew up at him due to her hormones and practically called him a bad father. However, Bunny was indeed right when she said Vegeta could be surprising. After he discovered the news of Bulma’s pregnancy, instead of acting out of anger and killing her, he gently placed his hand on her stomach, closed his eyes, and a look of concentration flashed across his face, as well as many other emotions.

She had seen Yamcha do that once before and didn’t understand it. Till now.

Bulma sighed.

_I’m such an idiot._

_oOo_

Bulma sighed as she picked at her plate, her eyes staring at the empty seat across from her. Vegeta had yet to leave the simulator and Bulma never got the chance to speak to him again. She had tried, but after knocking on the GR’s door for several minutes, Bulma figured Vegeta was ignoring her and she left.

When her mother announced that dinner was ready, she went to the simulator once again, only to be ignored… again. So, she sighed and left to eat with her parents.

Bulma set her fork down and pushed her plate away before she scooted her chair back far enough for her to stand without bumping into anything with her large stomach. “I’m not really hungry.” She declared to her parents, whom gave her disapproving looks as they watched her take her plate to the garbage, throwing out the food that was left on her plate.

“Bulma, dear? You need to eat. You have a little one to care for, remember?” Her mother reminded her.

She nodded. “I know. And if I get hungry later, I’ll make sure to eat a horse,” she replied in a sarcastic manner, before she realized her mother was only acting out of worry, and she sighed. “I’m sorry, Mom. I’ll make sure to eat tonight before I go to bed.”

Bunny nodded a bright smile on her face. “That’s all I ask for, darling!”

Instead of heading in the direction of her room, Bulma left the compound completely, grabbing her sweater on the way out as she made her way slowly to one of the lawn chairs behind the domed house. It was an oddly cool night for late summer and Bulma shivered as she put the sweater on.

Just as she took her seat, a sound from across the yard startled her and she looked up in time to see Vegeta leaving the simulator with a towel around his neck. Wordlessly, she watched as he took the towel and wiped his face off before he threw it back around his neck and continued on towards the house. She held her breath when she saw him pause in his steps and his head turned slightly in her direction.

She knew he sensed her there, but she felt if she said a word, the calming mood she was feeling in the air would disappear.

Vegeta however was anything but calm. He had spent many hours in the simulator, thinking. He had heard her countless knocks throughout the day and had purposely ignored her. It was one of those moments he needed to be by himself, to gather his thoughts and sort through them. Leaving would’ve helped better, but it wasn’t an option at this point.

He couldn’t get her off his mind. And it irritated him to no end.

As Vegeta continued to train in the simulator, he couldn’t help but reflect on his own relationship with his father. It wasn’t something he liked to think about, but this time, it was inevitable. His father was the only thing he could reflect on to help prepare him as a parent… and he wasn’t much.

How could he become a father when his own father abandoned him to a tyrant?

One thing was for sure, Vegeta didn’t want to become his father. So, there was only one thing he could do.

He had wanted to wait to face her, but obviously it was taken right out of his hands.

Mentally sighing, Vegeta turned about-face and began heading in Bulma’s direction, much to her surprise. She sat there, staring helplessly at his approach, before she began to blink and look around to make sure he hadn’t left anything near her. He hadn’t, so he was obviously coming to speak to her about something.

Bulma began to stand (or attempt to stand), but Vegeta held up a hand as he stood before her, indicating for her to remain seating. She did so and cocked her head to the side in curiosity.

“What’s wrong—“She began, only to be rudely cut off by Vegeta.

“Don’t speak woman! This is a onetime thing that I’m about to say and you’ll never hear me say it again. So listen closely,” Vegeta demanded, his arms crossed in front of his chest and a scowl on his face.

Bulma blinked in surprise and nodded slowly, giving him her undivided attention. It was obviously important or else he would’ve continued to avoid her like he had been doing all day. She waited for him to speak his mind, but he just stood there with an almost wounded look on his face.

Silence spread for several minutes as several emotions flashed across Vegeta’s face and it seemed to Bulma that he was having an inner battle with himself. Just as she was about to speak, Vegeta opened his mouth, causing all thought process to come to a halt.

“I… cannot promise you that I will be the perfect… _father_ you humans idealize…” He stopped and looked away, a small blush touching his cheeks. Bulma could tell that whatever he was about to admit, it was wounding his pride… and it warmed her heart that he was putting himself through this. Finally, he turned back to face her, his onyx eyes staring deep into hers. “However, I can promise that as long as I’m alive… you and our son will be safe.”

Without another word, Vegeta turned about to leave, only to stop when he heard his name being called.

“Vegeta…?” Bulma whispered hesitantly, a small smile on her face at his promise. “I know you said you weren’t coming tomorrow… but it’s for our son. It’s just a bunch of people gathered to give gifts, eat food, congratulate us, and they leave. It’s nothing fancy…” She trailed off, leaving the invitation open to his mind. He just tilted his head in acknowledgement and walked off, leaving Bulma to her thoughts.

After he left, Bulma’s small smile grew. It wasn’t a declaration of love, but in so many words, Vegeta had promised to keep her and their son safe. To her, even though he hadn’t spoken the words, he had promised to stay on Earth. It may not be for her, but it was enough to know that her son was going to have both parents around.

In that moment everything felt right.

_oOo_

_…TBC…_


	14. Chapter 13: Baby Showers and Steamy Showers

Bulma sighed heavily as everyone around her chattered unnoticeably to her discomfort. It wasn’t her idea to have this party and now that it was taking place, she definitely decided that she did not want it to continue. But one happy look from her mother and the venomous words died on Bulma lips. So, instead of fighting against it, she sat in the fluffy recliner while her guests appeased themselves.

It didn’t help that the ones she truly would’ve liked to be there, hadn’t shown yet.

High pitched voices caused Bulma to wince and grit her teeth as a group of cackling women—no doubt her mother’s book club—gathered behind her as they began to discuss their latest steamy romance novel. Closing her eyes, she began to count to one hundred while simultaneously rubbing at the aching feeling that developed in her temple. Those women always grinded her the wrong way, but just to satisfy her mother, she had faked a smile and greeted them with a forced politeness she never knew she could muster.

But that was over an hour ago and she could only fake for so long.

When a shrill of laughter caused her to jump, Bulma bit her lip hard to prevent herself from screeching at the group and she forced herself ungracefully out of the recliner and waddled away from the women as fast as her swollen feet could carry her. She had had enough and needed time away from this. With the stairs in sight, Bulma attempted rather slowly to make her way there, only to stop abruptly as her slim mother blocked her path.

She growled. “Mom, I did as you asked, now please, move!”

“But, dear… It’s rude to leave your own party; you’re the guest of honor!” Bunny explained with a cheerful smile. “We haven’t even opened the gifts yet! And besides,” her smile widened as she glanced over Bulma’s shoulder. “Don’t you want to see your friends?”

Blinking, Bulma turned around and the frown that once resided on her face disappeared, only to be replaced with a bright smile at the sight of Chi-Chi and Goku standing in the doorway, both looking uneasy at the number of guests. Ignoring the cackling women that were calling her name, Bulma made her way over to the pair, her hands resting on her round stomach.

“Hey guys!” She greeted as she got closer. “I’m glad you could make it!”

Goku gaped openly at the crowded room while Chi-Chi chuckled nervously and shook her head, shrugging as she held a small dish in her hands, and a bag draped over her shoulders. “We wouldn’t miss this, Bulma! But um…” Again, Chi-Chi’s eyes scanned the crowded anxiously. “I… didn’t realize so many were coming…”

Bulma shrugged as she followed Chi-Chi’s gaze. “I didn’t either until they kept showing up. But don’t worry,” she began with a smirk. “They’re not my friends, really… Most of them are people who either work for me and Daddy…” She trailed off as her eyes landed on the annoying book club that still stood behind the recliner, their heads thrown back in a high shrill of laughter, and she frowned. “Or the other half is my mother’s extremely brainless and annoying friends.” She turned back to them, giving a light shrug. “You two are probably the very few that are really here for me and not for the juicy details of how this,” she gestured to her large stomach, “happened.”

“Uh-huh…” Chi-Chi nodded and again, shook her head. “So!” She began with a bright smile as she held up the dish in her hands and gestured to the bag that hung from her shoulder. “Where can I put these?”

“Over here,” Bulma pointed towards the large buffet table that was laid out along the opposite wall near the kitchen. “Let me help you with that!” She offered as she took the dish and she glanced at Goku, who was still gaping at the crowd. “Is he okay?”

Chi-Chi turned back towards her husband, only to roll her eyes towards the sky. “Yeah, he’s fine. He’s probably just never seen this many people gathered in one place except for the martial arts tournament.” She held up a finger and smirked mischievously as she approached him. “Hey Goku! I know it’s been a whopping ten minutes since you ate last and I’m sure you’re hungry, and the Briefs made _all_ this _free food_ —“

She was cut off abruptly as she watched her husband snap his mouth shut and turn his head quickly towards the large buffet table with a hungry look in his eyes as he exclaimed loudly, “FREE FOOD?!” and he took off towards the table before saying another word.

“Huh…” Bulma began as the two walked slowly over to the table. “I should’ve expected that.”

Chi-Chi giggled before clicking her tongue as she glanced sideways at Bulma. “So…” she trailed off.

Bulma cocked a suspicious brow as she met her friends gaze. “So… What?”

Chi-Chi shrugged as she broke their gaze, her eyes scanning the crowd, before she glanced back at Bulma. “I don’t see Mr. High and Mighty anywhere…” she trailed off again, leaving an unasked question hang in the air.

Bulma huffed as she sat the dish down on an empty space on the table. “You really thought he’d come to something like this?”

Swinging up the bag, Chi-Chi sat it gently next to the dish and began to pull out smaller bowls and plates with various items plated on them. “I don’t know. I mean, you’ve been talking about how much he’s changed… So, I just wondered.”

“He’s changed! He’s not evil anymore!”

“Okay, okay, Miss Defensive,” Chi-Chi said slowly. “I wasn’t trying to push or pry. I was just honestly curious.”

Eyeing her skeptically, Bulma sighed and gestured outside. “Well, I doubt he’s going to come at all. He locked himself in the simulator before I even woke up this morning.” She shrugged as she picked up an empty plate and handed one to Chi-Chi. “Besides, it doesn’t really bother me much that he’s not here. I offered it to him and if he shows, I’ll be surprised and happy.”

Chi-Chi frowned as she piled some fruits onto her plate. “And what if he doesn’t show?”

Unbeknownst to Chi-Chi, Bulma smiled softly as she filled her plate. “Then, that means _I_ get to open _all_ the presents by myself!” She stated jokingly.

“Of course, it’s typical of you to think about the presents!” Chi-Chi teased as she finished filling her plate and she turned to find a seat.

Bulma, too, turned, and frowned as the many seats that were arranged in her once spacious dining room were nearly full. “My mother invited _way_ too many people!” She exclaimed exasperatedly.

“You think?” Chi-Chi replied smartly before her eyes landed on Goku sitting alone at the end of one of the longer tables, five plates of food in front of him, and she smiled. “Come on!” She grabbed Bulma’s arm and pulled her over to the empty seats.

They both sat, and Bulma sighed with relief as she kicked off the flats she was wearing and allowed one sore foot to massage the other sore foot. “I’ve only been standing for a few minutes and my feet are already killing me!”

Goku lifted his head from his plate to reveal his mouth covered in barbeque sauce and he smiled as he swallowed. “You should get Vegeta to rub them! I use to do that for Chi-Chi when she was pregnant!”

The pair stared at Goku blankly before Bulma finally muttered, “You do realize you’re talking about Vegeta… right?”

When Goku just nodded, Bulma sighed and rubbed at her head. “Sometimes I wonder about you, Son-kun!”

He blinked in surprise. “Really? That’s nice!” He took a bite of the sauced wing in his hand and then spoke around the food, “I think about you too, Bulma!”

Bulma opened her mouth to retort, only to shut it when Chi-Chi tapped her arm lightly. “Don’t even bother. He won’t understand.” She then frowned at her husband. “And you! Don’t talk with your mouth full, it’s rude! Chew, swallow, then speak!”

Goku blushed. “Sorry!” He said with his mouth still full of food, before he finally swallowed and smiled adorably.

Sighing in defeat, Chi-Chi and Bulma began to dig into their own food. “So, how far along are you, again?” Chi-Chi asked as she blew on the steaming potatoes to cool them.

Taking a bite of her fruit salad, Bulma chewed, and then swallowed, before forking another delicious morsel. “I’m nearing five months. It seems to be slowing down, though.”

Chi-Chi laughed and she shook her head, before taking a bite of the potatoes. “It may seem that way now, but you definitely won’t feel that way when your due date comes up. By the way, did they ever determine your due date?”

“No. They’re saying that my pregnancy seems to be progressing faster than normal. I mean look at me!” She gestured wildly to her abnormally large stomach. “I’m huge! I could be like… seven months pregnant instead of four!”

“Ya know,” Goku spoke up as he wiped his face clean. “Chi-Chi only carried Gohan for seven months. I remember because she kept screaming,” he took a deep breath before he took on an impression of his wife, “ _IT’S TOO EARLY, IT’S TOO EARLY!!_ ” He screeched in a high pitched voice before he began laughing at the memory.

Bulma cracked a smile and shared a laughed as she eyed her friend sitting next to her. “You’re husband does a very nice impression of you!”

Chi-Chi growled. “Oh shut up, you two! I freaked because I thought I was two months early! But now that I see Bulma, I’m starting to think it’s a Saiya-jin thing.” She said as she gave Goku a pointed look, causing him to shrug with a smirk.

“Huh… I never really put any thought into that,” Bulma stated. “Though it would make some sense… I mean, they are a different race, so why wouldn’t their pregnancies be different?”

“You know what you should do?” Goku started with a sly smile. “You should ask Vegeta!”

Chi-Chi laughed. “Yeah right! Like he would really know!” Goku and Bulma stared at her confused. “Didn’t his planet blow up when he was like… a kid?”

Bulma frowned at her disapprovingly. “That’s low, Chi-Chi,” she scolded lightly before turning her attention back to Goku. “I think asking him would be a great idea. He’d know better than any of us, anyway!”

The group continued to eat as they carried on their conversation, before they were suddenly interrupted as Bunny’s book club took the empty seats next to them, causing Bulma to tense and frown. _Oh great_ , she thought as she tried her hardest to ignore them, but her attempts were in vain as one of the older women turned her gaze on Bulma.

“Oh Bulma! There you are!”

A cold chill swept over Bulma at the voice and she took a deep breath before plastering on a fake smile and meeting the woman’s gaze. “Mrs. Durnim! How are you doing this evening?”

Mrs. Durnim was notoriously known for her love of gossip and Bulma knew exactly why she was in her line of sights. She had made sure to keep her pregnancy a secret, but when news finally got out via baby shower invites, it spread like wildfire. Now, everyone knew that the heiress to Capsule Corporation was pregnant, but no one knew specifics.

_But this woman is going to try her hardest to get it out of me…_

“Oh, I’m doing just fine! I must say, my dear you are glowing with your pregnancy!” Mrs. Durnim complimented.

Another fake smile in place, Bulma replied, “Thank you!”

“How far along are you, Bulma?” Mrs. Durnim smiled as she took a small bite of her food.

“Oh you know… I’m getting there,” Bulma chuckled as she gently patted her stomach.

The old woman nodded. “I can see that! You look like you’re ready to pop! I don’t think I was _that_ big when I was carrying my Cris!”

Bulma had to stop the frown that wanted to form. She knew what the woman was trying to say, but she refused to allow it to affect her. She knew she was big; she had become insecure now that stretch marks had begun to form around her stomach and sides, but she refused to dwell on it.

“Indeed, I am,” she said with a bright smile, though what the elderly woman said next wiped that smile completely off her face.

“I don’t think I’ve met your husband yet! Is he here?”

Bulma nearly growled. _Stupid bitch, I know what you’re trying to do! You know damn well I’m not married!_ But instead of speaking the venomous words that were on the tip of her tongue, she swallowed them and said, “No, ma’am, I’m afraid not.”

“Oh?” Mrs. Durnim blinked. “And why is that, my dear? It really is unbecoming for your husband to not be here for your baby shower! How else are we supposed to meet him?”

Swallowing again, Bulma took a deep breath before she slowly explained. “Well, the reason he isn’t here is because I’m not married.”

The woman’s eyes grew wide. “Not married?”

“Yes, ma’am. I’m not married.”

“Well… then how could you be pregnant?” She asked dumbly.

_Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me!_

Bulma blushed and faked a chuckle. “You have children of your own, Mrs. Durnim. Clearly, I would think you knew how _that_ worked…”

“Yes, yes! But I’m married, of course!”

Bulma sighed, clenching her fists underneath the table cloth, and gave Chi-Chi a smile when she felt her pat her arm reassuringly.

“If I may…” Chi-Chi interrupted. “But, if I’m correct, you don’t necessarily _have_ to be married to have children.”

The old woman gasped. “But, it’s just not proper! What about the child?” She turned her eyes on Bulma in disbelief. “Are you really willing to have a bastard child?”

_Oh my Kami! This woman has gotten on my last nerve!_

Bulma’s eyes widened and she glared at Mrs. Durnim before she spat out, “You wanna know how this happened?!” She gestured to her large stomach, then pushed her seat back and stood. “ _This_ happened because I had a _wonderful_ night in bed with a _gorgeous_ man who met my _every need_!” she screamed at the woman. “Is that good enough for your gossip?!”

The room fell deadly quiet and all eyes turned to an outraged pregnant woman. She then turned to leave the table, only to turn back around with her mouth open. “Oh! And just so you know, Mrs. Durnim! My son may be a ‘bastard child’ as you so eloquently put it, but at least he won’t grow up spoiled rotten and stealing my money like your son! Isn’t Cris in jail, by the way? For armed robbery?”

Before the woman could retort, Bulma turned her back on her. “I’m sorry, Chi-Chi… Goku…” She whispered to her two friends before she marched away, passing her mother who watched her leave without saying a word, only giving her an encouraging nod.

Bunny turned back to the party with a bright smile. “Dessert anyone?”

_oOo_

Bulma stood on her balcony, allowing the cool air to calm her raging emotions. She knew she blew it. Going off on the one woman who ate, lived, and breathed gossip was not the smartest move. But after allowing the subtle hits to make contact, she just couldn’t stand back and allow anymore. It would only be a matter of time before tabloids got wind of her outburst.

_Who cares? That woman deserved it!_

However, instead of feeling reassured, Bulma could only feel guilt and a deep sadness.

“Honey, are you all right?” a voice behind her startled her and she looked over her shoulder to see her mother approaching her with a gentle smile.

Bulma returned the smile, only barely. “Yeah… I’m okay.”

“Are you sure? That seemed pretty heated down there,” Bunny asked as she wrapped a comforting arm around her daughter’s shoulders.

Bulma winced. “Yeah… I’m really sorry about that, Mom… I just couldn’t take it anymore! That woman gets under my skin!”

Bunny chuckled. “Oh, honey, you shouldn’t be sorry. She crossed the line. Mrs. Durnim isn’t one for subtlety and she has no tact.”

“You got that right,” Bulma replied dryly.

“But, you shouldn’t let what she says get to you. She only loves the gossip because hearing the news of other people’s lives makes her feel better about her own.”

“I know,” Bulma began. “I couldn’t control myself. I just needed to get away for a few minutes to calm down.”

“I understand, sweetheart,” Bunny rubbed her daughter’s shoulders reassuringly. “When you feel you’re ready, come back downstairs and we’ll open those presents!”

Bulma groaned. “I don’t know if I can show my face down there—“

“Of course you can!” Her mother cut her off. “You should’ve seen the looks Mrs. Durnim was receiving! She ended up leaving because she couldn’t take the tension!” Bunny laughed. “She knew she was wrong.”

Bulma rolled her eyes, but smiled anyway. “You’re just saying that to make me feel better.” Before her mother could reply, she leaned forward and hugged her. “But thank you… It worked.”

Smiling, Bunny returned the hug, before she pulled away, and gave Bulma a soft pat on her back. “Come down whenever you’re ready.”

“I will.”

_oOo_

Bulma came back down to the party shortly afterwards to find everyone was still in mid-conversation, acting as though nothing had happened. When no one turned her way, she released the breath she was holding and ventured forward.

When she neared the buffet table, her pace slowed to a stop at the sight before her, and her mouth hung open in surprise. There, standing before the buffet table, plates in hand and scowl firmly in place, was Vegeta. Now this was a sight she had definitely wanted to see, but hadn’t expected to. Closing her mouth, Bulma smiled and approached him, her hands rubbing her stomach soothingly.

“I’m surprised to see you!” She exclaimed as she got closer, causing Vegeta to frown over his shoulder at her.

“Hn,” was all he said before he returned his attention to the plethora of food that was laid out before him.

Bulma just chuckled. “You know, you came at just the perfect time, too!” She stated with a sly smile. “We were just about to open the presents.”

“I only came for the food, idiot onna!” Vegeta barked as he piled more wings on his plate.

Normally, his choice of words would’ve bothered Bulma, but seeing him at her baby shower brightened her mood. He may have been there for the food, but at least he had shown his face. She had told him so.

He stiffened. “Don’t be ridiculous, onna. I will not participate in your stupid Earthling rituals. I am only here for nourishment and I will be back in the gravity room, training!”

Shaking her head, Bulma just shrugged. “Okay, whatever you say. But, if you change your mind, we’ll be in the living room opening the presents!” And before he could muster a reply, she sauntered off towards the crowded room.

Vegeta frowned as the onna walked away. Him, sit in on a pathetic human ritual such as this? _That_ was ludicrous! No, he wouldn’t do it, and he wouldn’t allow the words she had whispered softly to him the previous night to affect him either. He was just here for the food and then he’d be back in the simulator doing what he did best. But as Vegeta was about to take a seat, a thought crossed his mind, halting him from his meal.

He didn’t want to be anything like his father and abandon his son… And something small was quietly murmuring in the back of his mind that he should be in there.

But what was he thinking? Shaking his head, Vegeta took his seat, pushing his thoughts of his unborn child aside so he could enjoy his meal. The onna may have asked him to show up to the party, but he had never said he would. Yes, he had shown up, but he wasn’t there for the reason’s she may have thought… but he had seen the look in her eyes. She was happy. Her eyes had sparkled like blue gems at the sight of him.

And for some unknown reason, it caused a foreign feeling to swell in the pits of Vegeta’s stomach.

Glaring down at the many plates before him, Vegeta decided that he had lost his appetite and he stood, and left the dining room without taking his first bite.

It was going to be a _long_ day.

_oOo_

Bulma smiled as a small box was placed in her hands and she squealed in excitement. So far, the majority of her presents were baby clothes and diapers, which were fine, since she already had the major things. But she couldn’t help but _ooh_ and _aww_ at the things she was receiving.

Glancing out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Chi-Chi leaning forward in anticipation and chuckled. This present was obviously from her and Goku, and the looks on their faces were screaming at her to open the present. So, without waiting any longer, Bulma ripped the paper off the box and then threw the lid to the side, before she let out another squeal. This time, it was a toy. A musical toy. One of the hidden secrets about Bulma that very few knew was that she was musically talented and she smiled appreciatively at Chi-Chi, before leaning over to give her a hug.

“I figured you’d want to pass along the talent!” She whispered in Bulma’s ear as she hugged her back.

Bulma laughed. “This little bugger is going to be better at the piano than I am, I’ll make sure of it! Thank you!”

Setting the toy aside, Bulma rubbed her hands together as she eyed the many other presents she had yet to go through. “What’s next?!” she asked excitedly, causing the room to laugh.

“How ‘bout mine?” Bunny stepped forward, giving Bulma another box and she sat down on the arm of the recliner as her daughter began to tear through the wrapping paper. Once she was through and the lid was torn off, Bunny clapped excitedly before clasping her hands near her mouth as her eyes began to water.

There, laid in the box, was Bulma’s old baby blanket. The creamy white of the blanket brought out the light blue of the trimmings. In the top left and bottom right corners was a soft brown stripped pattern and in the opposite corners were spelled _Hope_ and _Dream_. Bulma’s eyes began to swell with unshed tears as she delicately unfolded the blanket from the confines of the box and held it out before her.

“But… I mean…” She began shakily as she turned her teary eyes on her mother. “Where did you find this? I thought you lost it when I was five?”

Bunny smiled through her tears and shook her head. “No honey! I only said that because I knew we needed try to get you to detach yourself from it. You were growing up… So I boxed it up and said I lost it in the laundry.”

Speechless, Bulma clutched the blanket to her chest and she buried her face in it, before letting out a soft sigh as the fabric rubbed gently against her skin in a reassuring manner. She had been heartbroken when her mother had told her it was gone; it was her security blanket, something she liked to cling to when she slept at night. The moment she no longer was able to cling to it, she began to toss and turn in the bed.

Now, she was able to give her son the same blanket she once used as a baby.

“Oh!” Her mother exclaimed, bringing her out of her thoughts. “There’s also something else I put in the box with that!”

Blinking, Bulma reluctantly sat the blanket aside, before peering in the box once again, only to let out a booming laugh at what she saw. Holding it up for all to see, only a few chuckled, however, Goku and Chi-Chi shared the laugh with Bulma. There, on the shirt, read; “If you think I’m cute, you should see my Daddy!”

Suddenly, a brief movement caught Bulma’s gaze and she peered over the crowd towards the back to see a shadowy figure retreat away from the living room, and she smiled. How long he had been standing there, she didn’t know, but the fact that he had came at all made Bulma dizzy with happiness.

_At least he’s trying…_

_oOo_

Bulma sighed as she waved goodbye to the last of her guests before turning to the disaster that was the aftermath of the party. Cups, plates, napkins, paper, and confetti laid about the floor, giving the room a cluttered look.

_What a bunch of pigs!_

However, instead of indulging herself in the task, she approached a panel on the wall in the living room and keyed in a code to alert the cleaning bots that the room needed to be cleaned. Walking about the room, Bulma kicked at the garbage that was hidden underneath the couch to the middle of the room before she sighed and sat down in the recliner as she rubbed her aching back. A sudden soft beeping alerted her that the cleaning bots had arrived and she lifted her feet to the coffee table, giving them the room to work as she relaxed her sore muscles.

Looking off to her left, on the end table, laid a small blue paperback book, and Bulma’s brow furrowed in curiosity. Leaning over, she snatched the book up, and read the title, before smirking and shaking her head. A silly title, she concluded, and apparently one of the books her mother was reading for her book club. Biting her lip, she opened the book to the marked page and began to read, only to feel a warm tightness spread between her thighs and her heart rate to pick up.

 _With a soft laugh, Dante surged into her damp heat. Pure sensation rippled_  
through him as her fingernails sank into his shoulders  
and she gasped with pleasure. “Oh yes.”

“Oh boy…” Bulma whispered as she began to chew on her nail as she read further. The warm feeling that had developed only spread further as her eyes drifted along the lines of the page and she nearly groaned. It had been so long since she felt this kind of pleasure! Without hesitation, she flipped the page, thinking all the while why her mother hadn’t shown her this book.

 _Buried deep inside her, Dante paused to savor the feel of being so_  
intimately bound together. It wouldn’t matter if they had an  
eternity to explore each other, he would never tire of  
this woman. Never have enough of her sweet heat.

Suddenly, Bulma flushed and she began to fan herself with the small piece of paper her mother was using as a book mark, but it was an inevitable attempt. Her body was screaming for this kind of attention, it wanted these passionate touches and kisses, and she couldn’t help but drift back to the only night she had with Vegeta before she continued on.

 _…his hips began to thrust forward, his need growing to an unbearable ache._  
She moaned. He growled. They clutched at each other.  
They surged together.

The hand that was holding the book began to shake and her free hand began to drift downward, over the roundness of her stomach, along her thighs, to her heated core. It was too much, it had been too long, and she couldn’t take it any longer. It was a bad idea to pick this book up! She knew she should put it down and walk away, but neither of her hands would cooperate.

 _Dante choked out a groan of shocked pleasure as he thrust_  
himself to the very heart of her. Mist-red desire   
clouded about them, driving them ever upward,   
until with an explosive climax they combusted   
in flames together.

Finally, Bulma forced herself to snap the book shut and she pulled her other hand away from between her thighs. A nice long shower should help to work out her tensions…

Maybe.

_oOo_

Bulma made her way up the stairs rather slowly, both because of her swollen feet and also because of the new pressure that had built between her legs. She needed relief and she needed it now! Turning the corner, she growled when she saw her room at the other end of the hallway and knew that it would take a bit of time for her to make it to the shower. Determined, she ventured forward, her sights on her bedroom door, but she halted once she was in front of another door.

Vegeta’s room.

It had been quite a long time since she had been in there… a few months. And the fact that it was closed indicated that Vegeta was inside either asleep or in the shower. After previous experiences, Bulma knew not to go in there, especially when he was in there, but something about this time felt different.

Should she?

_No._

Did she want too?

_Yes!_

Standing there for another minute, battling herself, she finally reached forward, her hand curling around the cool door knob, and she twisted it, before allowing the door to swing open on its own accord.

Nothing.

Stepping into the room, Bulma closed the door behind her, her eyes on his bed. _He must be in the shower_ , she thought as she approached the bathroom door. Placing her ear against the flat surface, she nodded when she heard the water running and smirked devilishly. As quiet as she could be, she opened the door, and stepped into the steaming room, her eyes trained on the shower before her and the figure that stood underneath the hot water.

She stood there for a minute, admiring his muscular physique and how the water trickled down his body. She bit her bottom lip as she watched him lift his arms to his head, his fingers running through his hair, and his scarred back rippled from the movement. Her mouth began to water and her shameless eyes traveled over the tightness of his butt, down his strong legs, to the tips of his toes, and back up again. It was a shame he wasn’t facing her. A blush touched her cheeks at that thought.

Surely he should know she was there… right?

Not caring, Bulma began to tug off her clothes, allowing her maternity pants to hit the floor and she stepped out of them. Then, she gently opened the glass door of the shower, and nearly stopped when she saw his back stiffen somewhat, but he didn’t turn around.

She smirked. Interesting…

Taking that as an invitation, Bulma approached Vegeta from behind before placing her hands on his wet back and began to run them downward, and she pressed herself as close to him as her stomach would allow. Tilting her head forward, she kissed his shoulder, and then stepped back when he turned around to face her.

He wasn’t scowling this time… only frowning.

She smiled seductively and murmured, “You knew I was here the whole time?”

He cocked a brow. “What do you think?” He said huskily.

Glancing down, her smile widened a bit before she met his eyes again. “I think that if you didn’t want me here, you would’ve kicked me out by now.”

Vegeta narrowed his eyes, but ignored her comment. “When did you become so brazen?”

She, too, cocked a brow, before she leaned forward and took his earlobe into her mouth, nipping it gently, before she whispered, “When I decided I wanted you.”

Bulma frowned when Vegeta gripped her by her shoulders, forcing her to step back, and her frown deepened when she saw the look in his eyes.

“Onna, I already told you—“

“It doesn’t mean anything, Vegeta!” She said quickly, cutting him off. “It’s what you wanted…”

He continued to stare at her in surprise and she felt his grip on her loosen, and she took her opportunity to step towards him once again, this time, to nip along the length of his neck. “I promise you,” she began as her hands trailed along the planes of his stomach, and further down towards his hard length, until she had it held gently in her grasp, causing him to nearly groan. “This is just sex,” she kissed her way along his jaw as her hand began a stroking motion, “this is enough for me.”

His breathing picked up and he swallowed hard to keep from groaning out in pleasure. His mind told him one thing, while his body screamed another. Would she really be able to see this as only sex? Probably not, he imagined. But it had been quite a while since he had any type of release, and the motion she stuck to was already working its magic on him. When she finally made it to his chin, she kissed her way up to his mouth and hovered briefly to stare in his eyes, waiting for his answer. He stared back, giving her a searching gaze, his hand halting her movement below to allow him some time to think. But after a moment of gazing at her, he finally came to his decision.

He let go of her hand and grasped her shoulders once more, this time to back her up to the wall. Growling, he pressed his lips to her own and she fisted her free hand in his wet hair, their tongues battling for control.

Vegeta groaned as Bulma bit his bottom lip and he brushed her hand away from his length, his hand running down her thigh to hitch her leg around his hip. She gasped as his hard length rubbed against her moist center, instantly spreading fire to her loins, and she began to rub herself against him in anticipation, only to nearly cry out from frustration as Vegeta’s hands stopped her rocking motion.

Pulling away from his rough mouth, she gave him a glare, only to receive an amused smirk in response and he leaned forward to suck at her collarbone, his mouth making a wet path to her aching breasts. Bulma arched forward, her fingers digging into his shoulder, and she gasped when he took a rosy nipple into his mouth, his sucking rough and nowhere near gentle.

“Oh Kami!” She breathed out when he switched to the other neglected breast, making sure to rotate between sucking, nibbling, and licking. He nearly chuckled when she groaned in frustration as his mouth left her breasts, and he lowered himself to his knees, his mouth continuing south, and he took her leg that was originally on his hip and hoisted it over his shoulder, giving him the perfect view to her hidden treasure.

Bulma wiggled her hips, the simmering flame that had developed in her lower stomach now building into a blazing fire threatening to explode if relief didn’t come her way soon. Using her leg, she attempted to bring Vegeta closer, grinding her teeth together in anger when he wouldn’t move. He gave her a steady look, amusement clear in his eyes at her urgency, and he bent forward towards her heated core, only to turn his head and give her inner thigh a long lick, and she gave a soft sob.

“Oh, please! I can’t…” She began to beg, a deep blush covering her figure at her display of weakness, but she didn’t care. She wanted him and his teasing was driving her crazy! Instead of giving into her pleas, Vegeta nuzzled his nose into her inner thigh next to her drenched center and breathed in deeply, smelling her pure sweet arousal, before finally giving into temptation and taking a good long lick of her juices.

Crying out, Bulma gripped Vegeta’s hair in a tight fist as he licked over and over again, occasionally stopping to tease her swollen nub with the tip of his tongue, before continuing again. Gaining some strength, Bulma opened her eyes and glanced down her body in an attempt to watch his ministrations, only to slam her head back against the wall of the shower in frustration when her giant stomach blocked her view.

Her breathing picked up and the pressure in her stomach tightened as her climax neared, and just before she was able to reach euphoria, Vegeta pulled away, causing her to nearly sob at the lack of release. He stood, his hand gripping her hip, before he turned her around, his length briefly brushing against her backside, and she arched herself to brush against his tip again.

“Spread your legs,” he demanded huskily, before he stepped forward, his one hand resting near her head against the wall, while the other still held onto her hip in a tight manner. Bulma complied, her legs now spread, her arms resting against the shower wall while water dripped down her back, and she rested her forehead against the flat surface as she wiggled her hips like a cat in heat.

When he didn’t enter her right away, Bulma frowned, until she felt his hand slide up from her hip to rest just below her bulging stomach, and she understood. He was hesitant to continue and she knew why. He had never been with a pregnant woman before, and the fact that she was carrying his heir made him pause in his roughness. A small smile appeared and Bulma reached her own hand down to rest upon his and she whispered, “Its okay,” only to receive a grunt in response before she gasped out when he finally entered her from behind, his hard length easily sliding into her heat as smooth as butter.

Vegeta nearly bit his lip at how tight she was in this position and his eyes rolled into the back of his head as he began to thrust. Bulma cried out, her hand leaving his to slam against the wall as she met his thrusts, using her arms to push herself against him. He was so deep and she could nearly feel him hit her cervix. His growling was animalistic and he leaned forward to lick along the column of her neck, before taking some skin between his teeth and sucking. He knew better than to bite down, but he couldn’t resist the need to taste the sweet and salty skin.

Her cries were getting higher and higher, and he slide his hand down to her thigh, lifting it to rest it against the wall as best as it could, allowing his angle to shift, giving him more deeper thrusts. Her orgasm snuck up on her and she bit her lip to keep herself from screaming, before it finally subsided and she panted from it.

Vegeta’s pace slowed, allowing her to catch her breath, until he decided he gave her enough time and his speed increased, causing her to moan his name.

This was definitely going to be a long shower.

_oOo_

He watched as she slid the towel over her skin, drying the small droplets of water that still remained, before she wrapped the towel around her body as far as it would go and picked up her abandoned clothes from the floor. They hadn’t spoken a word to each other after her final orgasm. It was the most powerful one he gave her, out of the three she had, and he had watched as she detached herself from him, only to turn around and kiss him deeply. It didn’t feel like the last time they had slept together, where she had reacted like that night meant more than what it was. Instead, she just kissed him, smiled, and thanked him, before leaving him in the shower without looking back.

It was different.

He didn’t know what to do with himself, so he just watched. She gathered her clothes and stood up, using the sink as a crutch to help her back to her feet. If she hadn’t left him so speechless, he would’ve threw out a snarky comment about her weight and balance, but he couldn’t find it in himself to do so. For some strange reason, he had found her body still appealing, even though he would rather die than admit that to anyone. She still held grace; even though he could tell her large stomach was holding her back.

His eyes focused on her stomach and he frowned. He had paused midway into their sexual escapade when he felt a spike in his son’s ki and he moved his hand to rest under her stomach to feel it. It was the first time, since he had been back, that he had felt the spike, and it was strong enough to cause him to pause. The level was in the lower elite range, and he couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride that his son was already powerful. But what had also caused him to pause was the fact that the onna hadn’t felt a thing, when in most cases, she should’ve been writhing in pain from the spike. It didn’t register with him, until she had told him it was okay that he finally snapped out of it.

Bulma turned around to see Vegeta watching her closely and she gave him a seductive wink before leaving the room.

He had never given her enough credit before, but he had to give it to her now.

She was stronger than she looked.

_oOo_

The next morning found Vegeta descending the stairs towards the kitchen, scowl firmly in place. He had overslept that morning and that was unacceptable. He would not allow his training to suffer just because he allowed himself a few extra hours of sleep after what had happened yesterday with the onna. He would have to make up for it and push himself extra in his training.

While pondering on the severity of his training, Vegeta never noticed the onna who was currently standing before the stove, kettle in hand. He strode into the room, finally taking notice and tensed, expecting an outburst of emotions after their shared intimacy. When the sudden burst of emotions never came, he frowned, before he reached across from her into the open cupboard for a mug.

Bulma leaned out of his reach with a slight smirk, completely calm in this awkward moment. She knew why he was acting so stiff and tense, and she found amusement in his confusion. After he had left that faithful day, Bulma had changed. And last night, when she left the bathroom, she had an epiphany. She may never have a romantic relationship with this man, but a physical one… a sexual one was enough for now. She wasn’t sure she was ready for a romantic relationship herself. It would be nice to have one, but the more she thought about it, the more unnatural it seemed to be between them. And that’s why she loved what they had. It was completely unnatural. He wanted no-strings-attached sex and even though it wasn’t her style, she knew she wanted him, and she was more than willing to go the extra mile to give him what he wanted… For now.

“Sleep well?” Bulma asked innocently as she poured herself a cup of steaming hot tea, glancing over her shoulder to see him pouring himself a cup of coffee, chuckling at the low growl of warning he gave her. “It’s just an innocent question!”

“Damn female,” Vegeta muttered before he took his mug and marched into the dining room, sitting in his usual spot at the head of the table. “Where is that blasted dame of yours?” He demanded as he took a cautious sip of his drink.

Bulma shrugged. “Who knows? Looks like it’s just you and me for breakfast!” She smiled wickedly at his sudden paleness.

“There is no way in hell I am eating your cooking! Go find her!” He exclaimed, his eyes somewhat wide with slight panic at the thought of eating her poor cooking.

Bulma rolled her eyes. “Oh come on, Vegeta! I’m not _that_ bad of a cook! And besides, I can’t find her! She’s obviously not here and I’m not going to call her back just to make you food! So deal with it or don’t eat at all!”

Vegeta sat there, staring at her, before he grumbled and looked away, his arms crossed, and Bulma smiled victoriously. She leaned up to get a pan from the rack above the stove and began to make their breakfast, never noticing the scrutiny she was under.

The prince watched her closely, frowning the entire time at her odd behavior… or lack thereof. The last time they had been intimate, she had screamed and yelled at him, expecting more from the night, but this time, she was acting like their fun in the shower had never happened. It was somewhat relieving, yet unnerving. What had changed?

He couldn’t place his finger on it, but the change was a welcome one and if she wasn’t going to bring up that night, than neither was he. Though, he wasn’t sure if this was going to be a continuation… Did he want a physical relationship with the onna? It wouldn’t be a bad one. She was definitely a feisty one between the sheets and their mating was probably the best one he’s had, but would she be able to deal with just physical?

Only time could tell…

_oOo_

Later that night, Bulma was standing by the window, a basket of laundry resting against the windowsill. He hadn’t come out for lunch or dinner, and the flashing lights hadn’t let up. It was worrisome, but she knew better than to march down there and interrupt him. So instead, she allowed him to train till exhaustion.

Sighing, Bulma turned away from the window, grasping the laundry basket, and made her way to his room. Earlier, her mother had come home, only to leave again in a rush with her father to attend a banquet. In a mad dash, she requested Bulma to finish Vegeta’s laundry, causing Bulma to roll her eyes in exasperation.

Hoisting the basket up, she sat it on top his bed, rubbing her large stomach. It was a pain to carry it from the bottom floor to the second east wing with a large stomach as hers, but she managed, with a few pit stops. Taking another minute, Bulma sat on his bed, her energy drained after carrying the load of clothes. It was unusual. She was barely six months pregnant and already feeling exhausted.

After a few moments of rest, Bulma got to work, placing his clothes in their proper place. Once that was finished, she turned, ready to take the basket and leave, when something caught her eye. Glancing at the desk, Bulma saw the familiar leather bound book she had found all those months ago, laying atop his desk. On the cover was the symbol, and she traced the v shape of it with the tip of her fingers delicately. It was beautiful, the engravement of the symbol shining with a red hue that completely contrasted to the lightness of the leather.

What did it mean?

It was obviously something of significance, since Vegeta always kept it next to his bed, and it was always in reach. Curiosity got the best of her and she picked it up gently, and flipped it open, only to frown.

She couldn’t read it.

It was in an entirely different language, a language she had never heard of, nor seen. The handwritten symbols where elegant, though, no doubt made by the prince himself, and she ran her fingertips along the sentences, feeling the indentations his pen had made in each page.

Bulma closed the book and sat it down. It wasn’t like her to go through his things and she instantly felt guilty for imposing on his privacy. She knew that if he found out, he’d never trust her again. So instead, Bulma decided to ask Vegeta about the book instead of finding out on her own.

She left the room, laundry basket in hand, and closed his door, her eyes glancing through the window once again to see the simulator was still on and she sighed. The man was a mystery, a puzzle that was almost impossible to solve. But she loved puzzles and it made her want him all the more.

_oOo_

_…TBC…_


	15. Chapter 14: Another Side to You

Bulma sighed as she adjusted her weight in the chair. She was just at the end of being five months pregnant and already, she was extremely uncomfortable. The tightness in her stomach had increased and she knew that if she were to carry the baby to term, she may end up spending the rest of her pregnancy in a bed. She winced as she placed a hand just below her breast. Her ribs were killing her and breathing alone was a chore.

Already, the baby was big enough that she could probably request to have her pregnancy induced, but she didn’t want to take any chances, and she couldn’t base anything on the theory she had. It was only a theory and it wasn’t enough to convince a normal doctor to induce her at six months. However, she knew that if she allowed the pregnancy to go on like it was, she may end up with several cracked ribs.

“Bulma, honey? Why don’t you try to eat?” Her mother suggested gently.

Bulma shook her head as she eyed the food before her with distain. “I’d love to eat if I didn’t feel full and uncomfortable already! Was it like this for you?”

Bunny smiled. “Well… Not really. But then again, every pregnancy is different!” She said enthusiastically. “Besides, you’re carrying a half Saiya-jin baby. Have you asked Vegeta what pregnancies were like on his planet?”

“No… I’m kind of afraid to approach him with the subject.”

“Oh nonsense, Bulma!” Her mother scolded. “He is the father of your unborn child and you have every right to question him about his genetics!”

Bulma rolled her eyes. She knew her mother had a point, but she also felt her mother didn’t have a clue. It wasn’t the fact that she was afraid to question him about their child, she was afraid to question him about his home planet. From previous experience on the topic, it was a sore subject for him that she was hesitant to touch on. A part of her would rather see her pregnancy through and wait for the answer than ask him.

“You really should ask him. I’m sure he’d tell you,” Bunny pressed.

“Yes, mother,” Bulma said simply as she slowly began to eat the food that was set in front of her.

_oOo_

“Fucking piece of shit machine!” Vegeta growled low as he kicked the control panel to the simulator once more. He knew he was acting irrational, that it wasn’t the simulators fault for him being distracted, but he couldn’t help but feel a fury begin to build within him. In one split moment, he allowed his mind to wander back to the ki spike he had felt in the shower, and in his moment of weakness, a bot had struck him from behind, sending him flying into the wall of the simulator. He was stunned, to say the least, before he realized what had happened and destroyed the bot in no less than one hit. Then, he turned his sights on the simulator itself.

He took a step back, his breathing labored and heavy, sweat dripping down his forehead and temple, and he closed his eyes in shame at what he saw. The control panel was sizzling and sparking from his abuse, its metal tower that protected the converter was completely bent in, and a moment later, the red lights that signaled the simulator was in use, turned completely off, the gravity disabling abruptly.

“Shit…” He muttered as his fists balled. Before he could turn around to gather his towel and go on the hunt for the onna, a knock sounded at the simulator’s door and the prince sighed deeply. Luck was not on his side today. He knew who was on the other side of the door and was hoping he wouldn’t be here when she discovered just how in bad of shape the simulator really was.

Damn fates.

Taking in a deep breath, the prince readied himself for the slew of curses the onna would surely throw his way before he finally unlocked the door and allowed it to slide back, revealing the pregnant woman on the other side.

The hesitant smile on her face was something Vegeta was not expecting. As the door opened, he made sure to block the view of the destroyed console as he waited for the woman to speak.

He watched as she opened her mouth once, before closing it, looking conflicted and torn, before repeating the process a second time. His eyes narrowed and his patience began to thin until eventually, it snapped altogether.

“Stop wasting my time, onna! Out with it or leave!” He snarled.

Bulma closed her mouth and glared at Vegeta. Just as she was able to build enough confidence to question him about his planet, she lost it the moment he opened the door. Now, she couldn’t help but stand there and stare at the prince as the words she had been dying to ask slipped away from her, leaving her vulnerable.

“You know what, Vegeta? Forget it!” She exclaimed simply before stomping away.

Vegeta visibly eased when the blue haired harpy stalked off and he turned around to gaze upon the broken console before sighing. He’d rather not deal with her hormonal babble that she would surely bring upon him and decided he’d tell the idiot doctor to fix the chamber instead.

Why put his poor ears through such torture anyway?

_oOo_

Later that night, Vegeta came walking down the steps, freshly showered and changed after having worked out in his room for the remainder of the day. Telling the doctor was easy, simply, and to the point, and instead of giving him grief like his daughter had the habit of, he immediately gathered his tools and went straight to work. It was refreshing to have the respect he deserved and he smirked at that thought.

However, his good mood wasn’t long lived as soon as he reached the bottom of the steps, his gaze settling on the form of the onna sitting at the dining table with what appeared to be one of her magazines—a silly human pastime she liked to indulge in, one he would never understand—in front of her and a mug next to it. He frowned. He was not in the mood to deal with her and instead of acknowledging her existence, he walked into the kitchen to find a kettle on the stove and a mug awaiting him on the counter. Curiously, he picked the kettle up, opened the top, and sniffed at the substances, finding the scent appealing before pouring himself a cup.

Vegeta preceded back into the dining room, about to waltz pass the woman, when a picture caught his attention, making him stop right behind her. It was a picture of her… actually it was several pictures of her. Several before she was pregnant and the other’s somewhat blurred and far away; however even from the terribly quality of the pictures, he could tell it was her and she was walking alongside her mother with a hand on her protruding belly. He grunted at the picture, making Bulma turn her head to regard him curiously.

“What?” she asked when he didn’t say anything else.

His eyes narrowed and he pointed at the headline of the article: “ _A Bun in the Oven! Has shame been brought to the Briefs name?”_ A bun in the oven? What the hell did that mean and why would it be shameful? It sounded completely ridiculous to him. “What the hell are you reading?”

Bulma turned her attention back to the article and shook her head. “It’s nothing you have to worry about,” she began to say, only to have him growl low in warning. “Okay, fine! Geez… It’s just a stupid article about me being pregnant. Someone must’ve followed me to one of my appointments and got a picture, and now the whole world knows. It was inevitable anyway, since I had that shower,” she said with a shrug before throwing the magazine onto the table and picking up her cup.

Vegeta frowned and took a seat next to her, his hand reaching over to grasp the flimsy material as he read over the first few lines: _It has been confirmed! Miss Bulma Briefs, age 33, has been sighted leaving a local gynecology office alongside her mother, Mrs. Bunny Briefs. For months, the young heiress has been out of the public eye and finally the rumors are confirmed. Who is the mysterious man that knocked up the heiress and how is the family taking the news?_

“It’s completely ridiculous, some of the things they come up with,” Bulma says nonchalantly, even though the words of the article struck a chord in her.

“Hn,” Vegeta grunted as his eyes skimmed over the page before tossing the magazine back onto the table. “You humans are ridiculous. Such gossip was not tolerated on Vegeta-sei.”

Bulma’s eyes widened at this information. It was unlike him to talk about his dead planet and the fact the he brought it up so easily made her heart swell. Maybe there was hope after all. Instead of straight asking the question she had been dying to ask, she decided to ease it in. “Yeah? What would happen if someone spread a rumor?” She asked as she took a sip of her drink.

She watched as his mouth twitched somewhat before he answered. “It meant a long and painful death for that fool,” he explained. “No one was stupid enough to spread such idiotic rumors about the royal family. We had spies everywhere.”

“Unfortunately, that’s not how it is here,” Bulma sighed. “People can pretty much do and say what they please. And there really isn’t a law against gossip.”

“Hn.”

Seeing the conversation quickly coming to a close, Bulma bite her lip as she dove headfirst into the pit she feared. “I… I know you don’t like to talk about it, but…” His eyes slowly met hers. “What was your planet like?”

Silence. That was what she got for several minutes was silence. He had stared at her during that time and she could clearly see many emotions passing through his onyx eyes before he turned his gaze away and spoke. “Red.”

She blinked. “Excuse me?”

“I said red. That’s what my planet was like. We didn’t have the various colors this mudball has.”

“Was it anything like Earth?”

Finally, he chuckled, but she could tell there was no humor behind it. “What a ridiculous question.”

“So, I’m assuming no.”

“Then you are the genius you claim to be.”

Her eyes narrowed, but allowed the comment to slide. This was a delicate conversation and she didn’t want to ruin her opportunity to delve into the mind of the corrupted prince. “What were you women like?”

Vegeta frowned at her before returning his glare at the tabletop. Why was she so goddamned curious? “I…” he began. “I only remember my nurse and my mother.”

“Your nurse? Didn’t your mother care for you?”

He scoffed. “Please onna. Her only responsibility was too birth me, teach me what she knew, and help pick my mate, nothing more.”

“Oh.” She sat there, swirling the little bit of liquid that was left in her cup, and looked at him out of the corner of her eyes. “So do you not have a choice in a mate? Does she pick her and you have no say?”

“Of course not!” He sighed out, becoming frustrated with the conversation. He didn’t understand why he was humoring her, but he was. “She would be there as an advisor. If she thought the woman inferior, I’d have to take it into consideration before making my choice. Mates must be a match in wills and strength, and they must be able to produce a powerful offspring,” He blurted out almost military like. It was obviously drilled into his brain at a young age.

Bulma nodded. “That sounds like quite the process.” She gazed at him curiously. “When you say strength, do you mean physical?”

His eyes narrowed almost suspiciously. “Not always, but physical was preferred. If the female was powerful in strength, the male wouldn’t have to worry about her as much in battle. A broken bond was rather… painful I heard.”

“Was there a ceremony involved?”

“Why are you asking?”

Bulma shrugged. “Just, ya know. Curious, I guess. I mean, I am carrying your son.”

 _Yes_ , he thought. _And that is the only reason why I am allowing this_ , he tried to tell himself. But he knew, partly, that he was lying. He wasn’t just humoring her for the good of their son, but a part of him wanted to release the weight that he had been carrying ever since the destruction of his planet. No one had been interested in learning about his race and he had never been interested to tell… till now.

“So, was there a ceremony involved?”

His eyes twitched and he looked away. “Yes.”

Her eyes brightened at the thought. “Is it like a wedding?”

“A what?” He spat as he turned his gaze back to her.

“You know, a wedding!” When he continued to stare at her, she chuckled. _So naïve_ , she thought humorously. “It’s where a man and a woman come together in a union and vow to be together forever. There’s bridesmaids and groomsmen involved and witnesses of the union! It’s really romantic…” she sighed

He scoffed, his nose wrinkling at the idea. “No, it is not like a _wedding_ ,” he said with disgust. “It’s more like a ritual than anything. And no witnesses are required to be present…” _How ridiculous,_ he thought.

“Oh…” She deflated. “They way you’re acting is like the ritual’s a burden.”

“Most of the time, it is.” He took another drink of his tea, not really thirsty, but needing something to help gather his thoughts. “The bond between mates were mostly created just to produce offspring and mark your territory.”

 _That’s not romantic at all!_ Bulma thought with a  hint of sadness. “Well, that kind of brings me to one other question,” she began only to glare at him when he rolled his eyes. “I promise, this is the last one!”

“Sure, onna,” he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

“What were pregnancies like on your planet?”

He hesitated. How was he supposed to answer that? He knew why she asked, but he couldn’t give her a straightforward answer. His planet was destroyed when he was just a child and he was never around a pregnant Saiya-jin female. Vegeta sat there in silence, frowning and glaring at the tabletop. He could vaguely remember being taught the ways of birth and reproduction by his mother, but as a child he thought of it no use to him. Now, he wished he had paid more attention, because he, too, was curious.

Bulma sat there and waited patiently as he thought over his answer. She didn’t want to press him in fear of him never telling her out of spite. From the look on his face, he was struggling with something. It was obviously he was having an internal battle with himself and she almost wanted to take her question back. But she didn’t. It wasn’t everyday he was willing to indulge in his past.

“Six of your Earth months, I believe.”

_oOo_

Bulma came out of her bathroom in a daze, the towel barely wrapped around her body due to her large stomach. Six months he said. She was just at the end of five months and he said Saiya-jin women carry their children for six months. Her heart began to race as panic set in.

_Shit! I could become a mother in just a few weeks! I don’t think I’m ready for that!!_

Bulma allowed the towel to slip from her grasp as she approached the mirror that hung on her closet door, her gaze on her stomach. _Get use to possibility, girl, there’s no going back from this now!_ Just as she thought that, a small thump was felt and Bulma winced at the power behind the thump. It didn’t help that it felt like the kid was kicking her kidneys.

“Soon, baby,” She began as the panic began to fade. “Soon, we’re gonna meet, face to face.”

_oOo_

It was tough trying to sleep, especially when it felt like someone cranked up the heat in the room. Sweat covered every inch of Bulma’s naked body, the sheets having been kicked off long ago, the ceiling fan turned on high and her desk fan aimed directly at her. But neither seemed to be helping. She was just hot.

“Oh my Kami, why is it like a fucking sauna in here?!” She growled as she sat up on her elbows. “I can’t take it anymore!” Getting to her feet, she grabbed the robe that hung over the chair and stomped out of the room, belting it as she left. If she had her way, she would’ve left her room completely naked, but she didn’t want to risk anyone seeing the stretch marks that she swore had formed.

As Bulma was just about to pass Vegeta’s room, his door suddenly swung open to reveal the Saiya-jin himself in all his naked glory (causing Bulma to eye him up and down appreciatively for a brief moment), a scowl firmly in place. “What the fuck, onna?! Some people are trying to sleep without you parading around like a damn elephant in a stampede!”

“Shut up Vegeta!” She growled back, quickly snapping out of her daze. “I wouldn’t have to be up if someone hadn’t fucked with the temperature in my damn room!”

“Deal with the damn heat and go to bed!”

“I can’t sleep with how hot it is in my room,” she nearly whined, before she felt a cold breeze come from his room and her glare intensified. “Why in hell is your room freezing while the rest of the house is practically on fire?!”

Vegeta smirked. “Physical endurance, onna.”

She blinked. “What is _that_ supposed to mean?”

“Too much for your _brilliant mind_ to comprehend? It means I’m trying to get my body use to the possibility of battle in such a temperature. Exposing myself to this type of climate for a length of time will reduce my shock to it when it happens.”

Bulma rolled her eyes. _Always about training,_ she thought before a devilish thought struck her and she gazed at Vegeta almost lustfully, his naked body providing the help she needed as she felt a wetness form between her legs. “Ya know, it’d be a shame to have to _endure_ that yourself,” she began with a husky tone. “Want company, dear prince?”

Now, it was his turn to eye her skeptically. What was her end game exactly? He could never understand her mood swings. His nose twitched when her arousal finally met his sensitive senses and he couldn’t help but inhale the sweet scent. And then, it was like his mind was on autopilot. His feet forced him aside, giving her room to enter his domain, and he swiftly followed, closing the door behind them.

Bulma smirked as she made her way into the room, the cool air making her sigh in relief. The air was colder than what she normally preferred, but since her room was so hot and she was still sweating, she didn’t care. “You weren’t kidding about the temperature.”

“Mm-hmm,” he grunted as he came up behind her, his arms sliding around her waist as he buried his nose in the crook of her neck. He couldn’t help it, the woman just smelled too good. Bulma leaned into his embrace and he began to nibble on the flesh, her eyes fluttering close. She felt his hands move to the belt of her robe, quickly untying it before allowing the material to fall from her shoulders. She turned in his arms, her hands roaming his chest and abs, and downward, her smirk matching his.

This wasn’t what she came in here for, but what the hell? It was an added bonus.

_oOo_

The cool air didn’t affect her as much as she thought it would. She lay in the bed, her breathing heavy as she rested her head on the pillow, and she couldn’t help but to sneak a peek at the man next to her. Ever since she became pregnant, she couldn’t help but notice subtle changes in Vegeta whenever he was around her. The way he gently roamed his hands over her swollen stomach, how he carefully handled her hips while thrusting into her, and how, this time, it wasn’t rushed. It wasn’t the normal fucking she had expected from him… it was almost sweet.

And for the first time, she noticed that he wasn’t rushing her out of the room like she anticipated. What happened to him?

Bulma wanted to smile and had a hard time keeping it off her face. So he wouldn’t see, she turned her face away from him and ran a hand through her tangled blue hair. It was then, she saw it.

There, on the desk, was the same leather bound book she saw all those months ago. The red symbol on the cover was beautiful and she desperately wanted to know what it meant. It wasn’t a language she had ever fallen across before, and for a woman of her intellect, she knew quite a few.

 _I do speak 8 languages…_ She thought to herself as she craned her neck to have a closer look.

“What are you doing, onna?” the husky voice of Vegeta stopped her from getting any further, and a blush crept across her cheeks at being caught snooping.

“Uh, nothing,” She innocently replied after laying her head back down on the pillow, meeting his quizzical gaze.

“Didn’t seem like nothing,” he said skeptically.

She bit her lip and finally asked, “What’s that?” she pointed to the book on the desk, and Vegeta looked around her before shrugging and laying back down.

“It’s nothing.”

She looked back at it and said softly, “That symbol is really beautiful. What language is it?”

“Saiya-jin.”

 _Oh, duh Bulma._ She looked back at him and propped herself up on her elbow, her head resting on her hand as she gazed down at him. “What does it mean?”

A muscle in his jaw twitched and she knew she was touching on dangerous ground, but was surprised when he answered, “It is the symbol of the Royal House of Vegeta-sei.”

“Oh. Then it must be something really important to you, huh?” _Wow, Bulma, that was dumb…_

He shrugged. “It is just a journal. As a brat, I was required to keep one for my studies and ever since it has been a force of habit to write down anything new I’ve learned. It is nothing.”

Bulma’s brow furrowed. “Nothing? That doesn’t sound like nothing, Vegeta. It must’ve been quite lonely for you, after everything you’ve lost, and to be able to hold onto a piece of your heritage is not _nothing_. It’s truly significant and you should be proud you are able to carry it with you.”

He said nothing and only stared at the ceiling, allowing her words to hang in the air. After several minutes of silence, Bulma eventually sat up, ready to grab her robe and leave, when she suddenly felt a warm arm wrap itself around her waist and pull her back into the bed. Surprised, she looked over at Vegeta, who was still avoiding her gaze, and she smiled as she lay back down, his arm now resting underneath his head as he continued to gaze at the ceiling, only this time, he wasn’t brooding. He was thoughtful.

And his silent thanks could be heard, loud and clear.

_oOo_

_…TBC…_


	16. Chapter 15: Stop and Stare

After that faithful night in Vegeta’s room, Bulma couldn’t help but return to his room again… for the next four nights. And those four nights were equally as passionate as the previous ones. Bulma felt that she and Vegeta finally found some common ground, even though it was only with their physical relationship, she would take what she could get.

However, that was over a month ago. Bulma’s sixth month flew by and every day left the young heiress wondering when _it_ would happen. As she came upon her seventh month, she felt a change in her stomach. Where once she felt uncomfortable and tight below her ribs, now felt… light. Bulma frowned when it happened as she was standing in the shower. Afterwards, she realized she was able to breathe easier, but the heaviness that was present throughout her pregnancy remained, except it only intensified deep in the pits of her pelvis.

What the fuck just happened?

Panicking, Bulma quickly left the shower, barely taking the time to grab the robe that hung on the bathroom door and sought out her mother. Once she had found her, she rambled off what had happened in one breath, only to have her mother’s once panic-stricken eyes brighten with excitement.

“Oh honey! That just means you’re going to be giving birth soon!” She had squealed and then rubbed her daughters bulging stomach. “It won’t be too long now till we meet our precious one!”

Now, as news spread about the baby “dropping,” Bulma was put on a close watch. Whenever she shifted in her seat, her father would be at her side in an instant, ready and waiting to drag her to the infirmary, only to be waved off by his already irritable daughter. A sneeze that had been mistaken for a painful gasp had almost everyone crowding her, with the exception of Vegeta, who steered clear of the chaos that now ensued the compound.

The lone Prince knew it wasn’t going to be long before the onna would give birth. He could sense it. The drastic change in ki from the child had spiked dramatically, causing Bulma’s ki to spike as well. It was a common occurrence in Saiya-jin pregnancies. When the female would be close to giving birth, the child’s ki would finally reach its peak near the end of the pregnancy as part of a bonding process, igniting a ki spike in the mother as well, however it had startled Vegeta when he felt Bulma’s ki spike as high as it did. Human as she is, her ki was considerably weak and he didn’t expect hers to spike as much as it did, and he could tell from the height of the spike that the bond between mother and son would be a powerful one.

Of course it wouldn’t be as powerful if she were Saiya-jin, but significantly powerful for a bond between a human and a hybrid.

Unfortunately, bonding between father and child was different. As the father, Vegeta didn’t have the luxury to bond with his son while he resided in the womb. He had to wait till the child was born and he held him in his arms. The bonding between father and son was private and the only one that could witness it would be the mother, however, he had a feeling that ridding both him and Bulma of her parents wouldn’t be easy.

But, then again, he wasn’t even sure he wanted Bulma to witness such an intimate thing.

He wasn’t sure if he wanted to partake in such a ceremony at all.

Vegeta frowned as he made his way out of the simulator after having trained vigorously for the day, his mind entirely on the one being that he couldn’t seem to eradicate himself of. And that being was now sitting at the dining room table with her hands massaging her large stomach. He stood in the doorway that led to the kitchen and watched her silently, her face turned away from him as she skimmed through a magazine and he couldn’t help but notice the beauty that pregnancy brought to her features, the way her now round face had a subtle glow to it, how her body had filled out just right as she carried his child, and something ached deep within him as he studied her, before he halted his thoughts with a mental screech.

_Wait… What?!_

Where in the hell did _that_ just come from?! Sure, he found the onna attractive, but never once had he said she was beautiful. Shaking his head, Vegeta chalked it up to being dehydrated and immediately stalked towards the refrigerator in search for a cold bottle of water before angrily slamming the door, causing Bulma to jump when she finally took notice that she was no longer alone.

Seeing the Prince’s muscular, sweaty back clad in a torn black tank made her grin and just as she was about to throw out a snarky remark, he left the kitchen as quick as he came and immediately headed towards the stairs to his room. Watching him quietly, Bulma frowned before shrugging and returned her attention to the magazine. By now, she had become use to his drastic change in mood, and had quickly learned that trying to figure out what caused it was nearly impossible and just accepting that it happens was easier.

Only, her frown deepened when she heard his door slam a little harder than what she was use to hearing and she glanced up from the magazine to stare at the top of the stairs, curiosity written on her face. Biting her lip, she decided it was worth investigating this and slid the chair away from the table, throwing the magazine on the smooth surface, before carefully lifting herself to her feet.

Her slow steps carried her up the stairs, a hand holding the bottom of her stomach where the heaviness now resided, and she rounded the corner of the hall to see his door firmly shut, just as she expected. Bulma cocked a brow as she approached the closed door, taking notice to the subtle cracks lining the frame of the wood, and she couldn’t help but to shake her head when she dropped her gaze to the knob that was hanging from its proper place, ready to fall off. Now, this was unusual.

Taking a closer look, she saw the metal knob had indents in it, like it had been squeezed too hard and she could make out the shape of fingers in the indentations. Something must be bothering him if he wasn’t controlling his strength. Taking a deep breath in preparation for what she knew wouldn’t be a pleasant conversation; Bulma lifted her hand and knocked on the surface of the door.

She then stood and waited patiently, her hand rubbing her round stomach. Part of her expected no answer and the other part of her expected an immediate “Fuck off!” but what she got instead was a surprise. Approximately a minute after she knocked, the door opened to reveal Vegeta on the other side, his body still sweaty, his torn shirt that he was once wearing was currently on the floor behind him, and the angry expression on his face was considerably calmer than it was in the kitchen, except she could clearly see just from the look in his eyes that something was brewing underneath the surface, just waiting to explode.

“Are you okay?” Bulma asked gently, her feet shifting to accommodate her uncomfortable weight.

Noticing this, Vegeta frowned, and instead of answering her question, he murmured, “You shouldn’t be on your feet, onna.”

Bulma blinked in surprise at the somewhat soft tone he used, before she shrugged. “How else am I going to get around? Be carried?” She tried to joke. “Besides, you didn’t answer my question.”

His eyes narrowed when she shifted her weight again and a muscle in his jaw twitched at the sight. Why did he care that she was uncomfortable? Why did he care she was on her feet when she shouldn’t be? Why did it worry him so much when he watched her walk around? He tried to tell himself that he didn’t care, that he wasn’t worried, but he knew it was a lie. Something in him had changed and he found that he had become fond of the blue-haired wench that stood before him. And he didn’t like it. She had occupied his mind far too much and the distraction she presented was too much of a liability, something he couldn’t afford to have.

Vegeta had been raised to never have attachments and he prided himself of never having any, and now, things had most definitely changed. The proof of that stood in his doorway, gazing at him with that ridiculous expression of hers, almost as if she _cared_ for him. He was becoming attached, he was becoming soft, and he did care.

And he hated it.

Her weight shifted once more and Vegeta finally had enough. He stepped away from the entrance and held the door open in a silent invitation. Bulma gazed at him, almost confused, before she bit her tongue to stop herself from ruining this one rare moment with words and she stepped into his room and took a seat on the edge of his bed.

“Happy now?” She remarked sarcastically before mentally kicking herself. What a way to ruin the moment.

Vegeta scoffed as he closed the door, his body leaning against it with his arms crossed. “Please, onna. I just don’t want to have to deal with you if you happen to fall,” he spat out, though his eyes said differently.

Bulma nodded, even though she knew the truth. “So, are you going to tell me what’s bothering you, ‘cause it seems you took your anger out on the door there?”

“It’s none of…” He began, only to trail off in midsentence, his eyes landing on the floor in thought. In all actuality, it was her business. If he was really thinking about doing it, she needed to know. Afterall, she was carrying his child, which was a feat for a human to do. Saiya-jin women were known to die during the months of pregnancy, due to the harsh affects that it brought to the females, and the fact that this little human alone had made it to term was incredible, and deserved respect.

Yet, this was why he worried. She was human, fragile and weak. He could easily kill her with a simple snap of the neck and she would be helpless to stop him. And just knowing that she had been able to carry a Saiya-jin half breed to term was remarkable for her, but he couldn’t stop himself from wondering where this new fondness led for them. He didn’t like it one bit and it made him weak. Anyone with attachments was weak. They could be used against them and that was exactly what Vegeta had done while he worked under Frieza. He targeted men with attachments and was able to bring them to their knees in a matter of seconds by using those attachments as a weapon for his own gain. The things he had done made him shuddered at the thought of that being done to him.

And that was why he didn’t want any sort of attachment.

And this was why he was thinking of leaving.

He needed to rid himself of this newfound fondness he felt towards the woman that carried his child, he need to detach himself from the emotions that had begun to develop for the child she carried within, and the only way he felt he could do so was to leave.

Except the thought of leaving made his stomach churn.

After several minutes of silence, Vegeta returned his gaze to the woman that sat on his bed, waiting patiently for an answer. How could he tell her this? Saying it bluntly suddenly didn’t feel right, but he didn’t do soft and gentle. Sugarcoating was not his specialty.

“I need a ship.”

Bulma’s eyes widened a fraction, before she got control of whatever emotion she had begun to feel and asked, “Why?”

“Why else? I’m leaving for space.”

She shook her head. “But what about the androids? There’s not even six months left till May. Are you going to leave us to handle this ourselves?”

“I will return before then,” Vegeta said simply.

“Okay,” She nodded, before her gaze dropped to her stomach and then up to him, the question clear in her eyes. “And… what about this?”

He shrugged. “I trust that you’ll deliver safely. You have yet to run into any life threatening complications and you don’t need me there.”

Bulma’s eyes glazed over, but she held the tears back. Of course she needed him there, but saying that aloud wouldn’t help. She swallowed heavily, took a deep breath, and when she felt she was able to talk without her voice cracking, she said, “When do you want to leave?”

Vegeta smirked. He had expected a fight from her and he could tell from the look in her eyes that she didn’t want him to leave and he was glad she was willing to give him his space. “As soon as possible. Within the next several days.”

Bulma nodded and stood from the bed, wobbling a bit on her unsteady feet, before she made her way out the room with her head held high. The Bulma he had known before she had gotten pregnant would’ve fought with him, clung to him, and tried desperately to keep him here, but this Bulma was different.

She had another life to think about and for that, she had become a stronger person.

_oOo_

Two days passed since Vegeta announced he was leaving and since then, Bulma and her father set to work on the ship. Well, Dr. Briefs did most of the work and instructed his daughter to do the sketch. Bulma complied, all the while complaining that she was capable of working and grumbled about being demoted to desk duty.

The two of them worked through the nights and even recruited several Capsule Corp employees just to get the job finished since Bulma was confined to the chair. After much complaint, Bulma decided that supervising her father’s handiwork was better than not doing anything at all and occasionally threw in suggestions of what should go where. She itched to help her father and hated the fact that she wasn’t even allowed to pick up a wrench, and when she tried to help one of the employees whom was having a hard time with one particular piece of equipment, she immediately thought better of it when she caught the disapproving stare her father gave her.

It had been a long time since she felt like a child and her father did an amazing job of making that happen.

Finally, after two grueling days of work with little sleep, the ship was finished and ready for a test run. Once Vegeta got wind that the ship was completed, he appeared in the lab while Bulma and her father were discussing the best way to set the ship into orbit, only to have their conversation cut short as the prince approached the large vessel.

“I will do the test run,” Vegeta began as he ran his hand over the surface of the ship. It wasn’t large, but it was relatively bigger than the gravity room. He circled the ship, his gaze critical and calculating, and his hand swept over the round surface to feel for any flaws. On the backside was a large sheet of glass that he assumed was a window, its elliptical shape matching that of the ships, and he pressed his face up near the glass in an attempt to peer inside for a look, but all he saw was a one-way reflection of himself. Then he knelt on all fours and he grabbed a hold of the feet of the ship and gave them a good shake, testing the locking mechanism, before climbing to his feet and circling the ship once again. Finally, he stopped at the front and grunted over at the pair. “What is the key code?”

“The same it’s always been for the simulator,” Dr. Briefs replied and he watched as Vegeta punched in the seven digit code and stepped aside as the door swung down with a hiss to reveal a ramp leading into the ship. For a brief moment, he hesitated entering the ship as one lone thought slipped into his mind.

Was this really what he wanted to do?

It had been a constant question that had been nagging at him ever since before he told Bulma of his decision and now, he wasn’t so sure. He knew he’d miss the birth of his son if he left and that alone didn’t settle well with him, even though he told Bulma different, a part of him wanted to be there to witness the birth and experience the bonding ceremony between father and son. These new feelings he had begun to develop weren’t all unpleasant, he had deduced, but it was something he couldn’t allow himself to carry.

Feelings were a weakness.

Feelings lead to the destruction of many good soldiers. He had seen it happen too many times to count. And it didn’t always end in death, though most of the time, death would come. His comrade, Nappa, was a prime example of something he never wanted to become. Vegeta could remember clear as day the one night they were sent on a mission to eradicate a planet of its inhabitants. They had just finished decimating a city and they stood upon large bluffs overlooking the burning city in silence.

This night, Nappa had been acting different.

There were few occasions where Vegeta would catch Nappa gazing at the stars with a serene look on his face and that night, instead of watching the city burn, Nappa turned his attention to the bright stars in the night sky. Having enough of his constant reminiscence, Vegeta snapped at the older soldier to leave the past behind, only to look on in shock when his general pinned him with a hard, cold gaze.

He was used to seeing that look upon the older Saiya-jin’s face, but to have it directed at him was new and not welcomed. But before he could say another thing, Nappa grabbed the young prince’s shoulders and pushed him into a sitting position on a large boulder, before squatting down next to him, and began to give him the biggest lesson he would never forget.

That was the night Vegeta discovered the deepest secret of his oldest and most trusted comrade. He had once had a mate and a cub and being separated from them was slowly driving the Saiya-jin to insanity. It was common. Mates weren’t meant to be separated from one another. Once one mate would die, the other would slowly go insane before finally the insanity itself would lead to their destruction.

And that was why Vegeta killed Nappa.

Vegeta spent years watching the older Saiya-jin change from the wise and noble elite he had once been to the demented, twisted being he had then become and decided to put the poor fool out of his misery. It was hard to do but once he saw an opening in the battlefield, Vegeta took it and struck the Saiya-jin down, all the while saying he was an embarrassment to the Saiya-jin race for being beaten by a third class.

“Are you gonna check it out or just stand there and stare at it all day?” Bulma teased, immediately snapping him from his thoughts. He turned his attention to her and knew this was the right decision. Just looking at her caused his stomach to knot and he didn’t fully understand the feeling. He needed space, he told himself. He needed the distance and the vast loneliness space brought to help sort through his thoughts.

Bulma frowned when he continued to stare at her with a faraway look and waved a hand in front of his face. “What’s with you?” She asked before she carefully climbed the ramp and made her way into the ship. “Come on, you need to know the controls before you take off! I don’t want to have to go into space to rescue you because you didn’t pay attention!”

Vegeta blinked and shook his head. Pushing all immediate and apprehensive thoughts to the back of his mind, the prince followed the blue-haired wench into the vessel and his eyes widened. It was spacious, unlike the gravity simulator where the control panel took up most of the room. Here, the control panel only occupied one side of the room and it was relatively small. He made his way over to it and ran his fingers over the controls gently and watched as the screens lit up.

He smirked. This was nice. Everything was touch sensitive, with the exception of one button that was located in the corner of the control panel, the button safely tucked under a clear square lid. He peered closer and read the large red letters: _Emergency Fuel Storage_.

Bulma came up behind him as he observed the control panel and smirked. This was one of her suggestions. Instead of everything requiring levers and buttons, make everything touch sensitive. It was easier and faster, and she was able to do all the programming from her desk, which made her feel better about the last two nights.

“You have four fuel tanks and one emergency storage tank. If you happen to get too low while you’re away, the emergency storage tank should be able to supply you for two weeks, though hopefully you won’t have any need for it. You can check the capacity of the tanks down here,” she explained as she pointed to a screen just below the emergency button, showing four full green bars representing each tank. “If my calculations are correct, and they usually are, these four tanks should last you—“

“Three and a half months with the exception of the emergency tank. That’s not enough fuel for how long I plan to be gone, onna,” Vegeta interrupted as he took in the amount of fuel in each tank and did his own calculation.

Bulma frowned and glared at him. “If you’d let me finish, you’d know why jerk! Kami, he thinks he knows everything,” she muttered. “Yes, you only have three and a half months of fuel, but this baby,” she said as she ran her hand gently along the panel, “doesn’t use the same fuel as the simulator, so you can travel longer and faster while using less fuel. So really, this should be enough for you.”

Vegeta nodded as he studied the fuel panel before moving on to the gravity panel and then the general flight controls, his gaze committing every detail to memory. It was rather impressive that the onna and her bizarre father were able to put together such an elaborate ship in such a short amount of time.

Again, Vegeta returned his gaze to the open space of the ship and noticed one lone door off to the right, opposite of the large window. He made his way over to it and slipped into the room to find a single bed against the wall, a side table and a dresser that was both bolted to the floor and a small bathroom.

“The gravity doesn’t affect this room,” Bulma’s soft voice sounded from behind him. “It’s only programmed for the main control room. We didn’t have enough time to run the program throughout the ship, that would’ve taken several more days, and I’m pretty sure you don’t want to wait any longer…”

Vegeta could hear the sadness creep into her tone but chose to ignore it as he observed the small room one last time, before turning and leaving the ship altogether, Bulma following close behind. Dr. Briefs awaited at the end of the ramp, his hand twirling his gray mustache as the two approached and he asked, “Well, my boy? What do you think?”

Vegeta grunted. “It’s decent.”

“That’s Vegeta talk for _thank you_ ,” Bulma smirked teasingly.

Growling in warning, the prince sneered, “Watch it, onna.”

“Oh come on!” She exclaimed with a small smile. “It’s just a joke and besides, _I_ , the woman carrying your child, at least deserve a thanks for staying up two days straight just so you can train in space!”

“Staying up was your decision and a stupid one for a pregnant woman,” Vegeta barked before turning and began marching toward the entrance of the lab with the intent to pack some of his belongings, all the while ignoring the wench that was currently hollering at him like a banshee, until he abruptly stopped just before the double doors as an unfamiliar scent wafted his way.

“Hey!” Bulma screeched, her once pleasant mood now dissipating into anger at his retreating form. “I worked my ass off for you, you fucking jerk—OH!” She gasped in surprise and stared down at her stretchy pants in pure shock.

_Did I just fucking wet myself?!_

Immediately a hand grabbed her arm and before she knew it, she was being led to a chair. “See, this is why I told you working on the ship wasn’t a good idea,” her father lectured with a bright smile on his face and he rushed over to a phone and began dialing the infirmary, never taking notice that Vegeta was still in the room.

The moment her water broke, he smelled it and it took everything in the prince to keep himself from acting on his instinct and throwing her father out of the room. He had to tell himself that she wasn’t his mate, that his instincts weren’t justifiable, and that he just needed to stay out of the way till the brat was born. Except, his damn feet wasn’t cooperating again, a habit he was growing tired of. His angry gaze settled on the double doors that were only a few feet away from him and he was just about to make his feet move forward, when Bulma’s soft and fragile voice halted any movement he had planned.

“Are… are you still going to leave?” She asked hesitantly, her voice somewhat trembling. Just as Vegeta was about to answer, her father reappeared at her side with a wheelchair and he helped her into it, before he wheeled her out of the room and threw over his shoulder, “We’re heading to the infirmary if you want to join us!”

Vegeta sighed and closed his eyes, his hand coming up to pinch the bridge of his nose in irritation. He was so close to freedom and not only moments ago he had made his decision to _really_ leave, only to have his plans be ruined by the onna going into labor and inevitably halting his departure. With one last longing look toward the ship, Vegeta left the lab and made his way to the infirmary, knowing full well that leaving wasn’t an option any more.

It seemed fate was doing what she could to keep him trapped here.

_oOo_

“Oh honey, this is so exciting!”

Bulma groaned as she lay in the hospital bed in the infirmary beneath Capsule Corp, her teeth clenching as another contraction hit her and her hand flew out to grab a hold of her mother’s in reaction to the pain. She had been waiting for this day and now, she wasn’t as excited as her mother was. Instead, she just wanted to pop the kid out and not have to deal with the pain any more. And where in the hell was her epidural anyway?!

“Where in the hell is that fucking doctor?!” Bulma growled through the pain. “I asked for a fucking epidural like yesterday! How long does it take to get me one?! What are we paying these people for if they’re not going to do their jobs?”

“Bulma, sweetie, it’s only been an hour since you asked,” Bunny reminded her gently.

“Yeah, well, that’s an hour too long!” She breathed out as the contraction finally let up and she rested her head on the pillow. Once the contraction subsided, she glanced up at her mother, who stood at her bedside with a gentle smile on her face, and she asked, “How… How long were you in labor with me?”

Bunny chuckled and rubbed her daughter’s arm. “Are you sure you want to know this now?”

Bulma shook her head. “Not really, but I want to know how long I may be in this for…”

“Well, that depends. Every birth is different.”

Just then, Dr. Briefs made his way into his daughter’s room and the look on his face was something Bulma did not want to see. “Oh, Kami, please don’t tell me what I think you’re gonna tell me, Dad!”

Dr. Briefs smiled apologetically. “Honey, I’m afraid it’s too dangerous to give you an epidural, since your pregnancy is different from a normal, human pregnancy. I’m sorry, love, but you’re gonna have to tough this out.”

Groaning, Bulma closed her eyes as an onslaught of tears pricked her eyes and slid down her cheeks. Having to endure this kind of pain for the last five hours was already weighing on the young scientist and knowing that she would have to continue on without the help of drugs was not something she was looking forward too.

Gentle fingers wiped away the few tears that remained at the corner of her eyes, and she turned her head to gaze up at her loving mother and suddenly, she wanted to see a different face. She wanted the one person who had detached himself from this situation entirely, the one person who thought he wasn’t needed, who didn’t want to be needed. The moment she went into labor, the prince followed them to the infirmary, only to watch as the onna was wheeled into a private room before he turned and headed back to the elevator. Bulma had watched him go as an emptiness settled in her heart. She knew she shouldn’t have hoped that he would have stayed and shortly after he left, she scolded herself for that wishful thought.

But now, he was the only person she wanted to see.

“Dad?”

“Hmm?” Her dad approached the side of her bed.

She turned to look up at her father, the question in her eyes, and she glanced between him and the door. “Did he um…” Bulma swallowed, unable to finish the sentence.

Dr. Briefs smiled gently and shook his head. “No, he hasn’t left yet. I just spoke to him an hour ago, actually.”

“You did?” Her eyes shined up at him curiously. “About what?”

Her father shook his head. “I think that’s something you should discuss with him when the time comes, darling,” He said, before he patted her arm, turned, and left the room to search for her doctor.

Bulma watched her father go and couldn’t help but wonder what he and Vegeta had discussed. It wasn’t like her father to keep things from her and it made her all the more curious. But, her curiosity was cut short as another contraction sent her hand flailing for her mother’s and she bit her lip to keep herself from crying out.

It was going to be a long and painful night.

_oOo_

“Okay, you can relax now,” Dr. Aki said as she sat back up and pulled her hand from between Bulma’s legs after having checked to see how far she was dilated. “You’re only about 5 centimeters dilated, so you have a while to go,” she explained as she stood and pulled off her gloves and threw them in the hazard waste basket.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Bulma exclaimed with a groan. “I’m tired of being in this bed, I’m tired of these fucking contractions, I just want this kid out!”

Dr. Aki chuckled as she took the clipboard from the bed and began writing on it. “I know the feeling. That’s how I felt when I gave birth to my first born,” she smiled at Bulma and tucked the clipboard underneath her arm. “If you want, you can get up and walk around a bit. That may help to speed this up.”

“Really?” Bulma asked, her eyes shining with excitement at the prospect of being able to get up and walk around. Being confined to the bed for the last eight hours was starting to make her antsy.

“Of course! Just take someone with you to help you walk and don’t wander out of the infirmary,” she instructed before she took the clipboard and waltzed out of the room.

Bunny sat in the corner of the room and got up when she noticed Bulma trying to sit up. “I like that woman! I’m so glad you and your father decided to hire her for the infirmary!”

Bulma nodded as she carefully swung her legs over the bed and sat there. “Yeah, I thought it’d be a good idea to have her on staff since she knows my little secret and everyone else likes her too, so far. I’m pretty sure the office she worked at wasn’t too happy with me when I lured her away,” she cracked a smile, before her hand fisted the sheets as another contraction hit.

Bunny stood there, her hand rubbing her daughters back gently, and waited till the contraction subsided, before Bulma took her mother’s hand and began to climb to her feet. “Okay?” Bunny asked once Bulma was standing, who then nodded and reached over to take the IV poll and slowly began waddling out of the room with the IV poll rolling beside her.

The two woman circled the second floor of the infirmary several times, occasionally stopping whenever a contraction would rip through Bulma before continuing on until the young scientist felt too tired to carry on and they began to head back to the room. Just as they were coming up to the door of Bulma’s private room, a sight she hadn’t expected to see caused her to halt her approach.

There, next to the doorway, stood Vegeta with his arms crossed and a harsh scowl on his face—his usual pose. He was leaning against the wall and glaring at the group of nurses that were currently whispering to each other and pointing in his direction. The look on his face was murderous and she could tell he was trying hard not to lash out at the group of gawking women.

“Vegeta?” Bulma asked in surprise as her mother led her to her room.

Vegeta’s eyes snapped to hers and he pushed away from the wall, his glare now on her. “Where in the hell have you been onna?”

Bulma blinked and if she didn’t know any better, she could’ve swore she heard an undercurrent of concern in his voice. Was that her imagination? “I’ve been walking around the infirmary. I got antsy. What are you doing down here?” She slowly walked into the room and sat on the bed, her mother helping her to climb back under the covers as Vegeta stood in the doorway.

“Don’t ask such stupid questions, onna,” he spat as he made his way into the room and stood next to the bed.

Bulma’s eyes flashed angrily and before she could say anything in return, another contraction sent her hand flying out, but instead of gripping her mother’s hand like she had been throughout the night, it went in the direction of Vegeta’s, whose hand immediately came up upon reflex. Her grip was tight and her face contorted in pain as she fought off the contraction and Vegeta watched on with momentary shock.

Was it really this painful? He had never witnessed a birth before and the only knowledge he had of births and pregnancies he learned from either his teachers back on his home planet, or Nappa. He was expecting her to scream just from the way her face was twisted and the painful grip on his hand alone told him that she was a strong one to have endured this for hours.

Once the contraction let up, the tight hold she had on his hand also loosened, and immediately, Vegeta contorted his face into an expressionless mask before Bulma could notice. Except, it was too late, for Bunny had caught on to the slight worry that had slipped into his shocked expression and she beamed.

There was hope for these two.

Once Bulma was able to breath, she glared up at the Saiya-jin, fire in the depths of her eyes. “I have every right to ask, you stupid monkey! You fucking knocked me up, you’re the reason I’m in this position and then you tell me two days ago that you want to leave!” She growled out. “Well fuck that! I’ve had it with you running from your fucking responsibilities, if you want to leave, you leave now, because I’m not going to allow you to put our child through the same hell you’ve put me through!”

Vegeta’s eyes flashed dangerously and just before he could spew back the venom that was dripping from his Saiya-jin fangs, Bulma cut him off, her eyes watery with unshed tears at both the pain in her pelvis and the pain in her heart. “If you want to leave, Vegeta… If you do leave… I don’t know if I want you to come back.” Just then, another contraction sent the blue-haired onna into another frenzy and this time, she cried out, tears now spilling down her cheeks.

Bunny could see the storm brewing in the Saiya-jins eyes and as Bulma rode out her contraction, she took Vegeta by the arm and tugged. “Mr. Vegeta, I need to speak with you in the hall… Please.”

The prince’s eyes narrowed at the young heiress, before he swallowed heavily, turned, and followed Bunny out of the room. He stood in the hall with his arms crossed, his gaze hard as he stared down at the blonde woman, who returned his gaze and for a moment, the prince felt nervous. He was never comfortable around this woman to begin with, but every time he was, she was in an insanely, annoyingly good mood, but this time, the look she was giving him was almost threatening.

“I can already tell you’ve never been through this before, so I’m going to give you a little advice that you need to take if you want to make it through tonight,” She began and then held up her hand when the prince tried to speak. “And I don’t appreciate being told that I need to learn my place, because honestly, I like you, Mr. Vegeta, but right now is not the time for your pride to get in the way of tonight.”

Vegeta was immediately caught off guard. The only person who had ever spoken to him in such a way was the blue-haired wench and he never liked it when she spoke to him this way. And he sure as hell didn’t like it when her mother decided to take up on that habit, but the look in her eyes told him it was wise he kept his mouth shut, even though he wanted to blast her head off in the most gruesome way.

“Bulma is in a lot of pain and you jabbing her like you just did is not going to help. She will say things she doesn’t mean and you need to try not to say anything back,” Bunny explained gently, but firmly. “And I know I’m sticking my nose where it doesn’t belong, but at this point, I don’t care,” she began, her harsh gaze now turning into a heated glare. “If you want to leave, Mr. Vegeta, then I don’t think you should be in there when Bulma gives birth.”

“ _Excuse me?_ ” Vegeta hissed. He was willing to listen to her advice, but now that he was being told that he wasn’t wanted in the same room as his son was something he did not want to hear. How dare she tell him this! “What makes you think that you can stop me from being in there, you pathetic human?”

Bunny crossed her arms. “I’ll do what is necessary to keep you from hurting my daughter and my grandson. If you want to leave, you need to do it now.”

Just then, Vegeta could no longer ignore his Saiya-jin instincts. They were too powerful and being told that he wasn’t allowed to witness the birth of his cub drove his instincts wild. “Listen here, bitch. I don’t care what you think or how you feel, but there is no way in hell you’re keeping me from my cub. You try, and I will not hesitate in killing you,” he exclaimed, his tone deadly calm, his eyes blazing with pure hatred.

Bunny shook her head. His threat may have been true, but she felt no fear. She wanted to drive a point home and if making him angry did that, if putting her life on the line did that, then it was worth it. “Then you need to make a choice, Mr. Vegeta,” She said simply, before walking around the angry Saiya-jin and headed back into the room, where Dr. Aki was currently between Bulma’s legs after having just checked to see how far she was dilated and she smiled brightly up at her.

“She’s fully dilated and ready to go!” Dr. Aki explained as she stood from the stool and pulled off the pair of gloves she was wearing so she could use the phone. Moments later, Dr. Briefs along with two nurses appeared in the room, and shortly after that, Dr. Aki took her place between Bulma’s legs again. She smiled up at the heiress who was biting her lip and panting after just fighting off another contraction. “Okay, sweetie, on the next contraction you need to push!”

Bulma nodded, and her mother took one hand, while her father took the other, and just before they were able to begin, a voice stopped them. “You two need to leave,” Vegeta said as he made his way into the room.

Dr. Briefs blinked and frowned, and went to disagree before he was suddenly pulled from the room by his wife as she muttered, “I’ll explain later!” Just before they left the room, Bunny smiled encouragingly at her daughter. “Be strong honey!”

Bulma watched her parents leave the room and began to panic. She glared at the Saiya-jin and snarled, “Why did you make then leave, you asshole?!”

“Shut up, onna and do as the doctor says,” He snapped as he took the hand that Bunny had been holding, and the night began.

_oOo_

“Okay, breathe and… One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, and relax,” Dr. Aki instructed.

Bulma let out a breath and closed her eyes as she attempted to relax, but that was nearly impossible when she was trying to pass something the size of a watermelon through a hole the size of a pea. However, this night couldn’t have been any better though. Her eyes shifted over to the one person she never expected to hold her hand through this. Vegeta stood there, his face expressionless as he held her hand, and Bulma felt her heart swell. After the things she said to him, she expected him to hightail it out of here, but instead, he surprised her once again.

Maybe he did care after all.

“Alright, Bulma, I know you’re tired, but we’re almost there,” Dr. Aki encouraged. Then, Bulma sat up again as she felt another contraction and began to push again, only to cry out and fall back on the bed with a sob.

“I can’t… I’m so tired and it hurts too much!”

“Oh you’ve got to be kidding me,” Vegeta exclaimed exasperatedly. “I knew you were weak, onna! You can’t even give birth to my son, you’re so pathetic!” He goaded, knowing full well it would make her angry.

Bulma glared up at him. “Shut the fuck up, asshole! This is your fault anyway! And I’m not weak, I’m not pathetic!” She began to cry. “I’m fucking smart and…. and beautiful… and… and HOLY SHIT!” She yelled out as another contraction hit her and she bore down with all her weight as her doctor counted.

“This isn’t working,” Dr. Aki shook her head and glanced up at Vegeta. “You, get behind her and hold her up!”

Vegeta stared at the woman as if she grew another head, but instead of fighting with the one person who was helping to bring his son into the world, he complied and threw the pillows off the bed, before straddling the bed behind Bulma as her back rested against his chest.

“That’s better,” The doctor said with a nod and returned to what she was doing as Bulma began to push again.

This continued on for another forty five minutes and just when Bulma thought she was going to pass out from the exertion of it all, she suddenly felt relief after her final push and a strangled cry filled the room. Both parents watched as the doctor took a towel while holding the baby in one arm and began wiping it down, and then took a pair of snips and two clamps from the nurse and proceeded to cut the cord that connected mother and child.

Bulma watched as the doctor passed the baby that was currently bundled in a white towel to the other nurse, who then carried the baby over to a table and began to suck any remaining fluids from the baby’s ears, mouth, and nose, and then gently wiped the baby down before she approached the couple who sat on the bed in awe.

“Would you like to hold your son, Miss Briefs?” the nurse asked with a gentle smile and Bulma bit her lip before nodding as she held her arms out to take the bundle of joy.

The moment the baby was placed in her arms tears dripped down her face. He was real and he was hers. She stared down at the child and began to commit every detail to memory from the fuzzy lavender hair to the tail that was currently wrapped around her wrist. The baby had since calmed after being placed in his mother’s arms and then, the two closed eyes blinked open in wonder and gazed up at the woman who held him.

Blue met blue for the first time and nothing else mattered.

Vegeta sat behind the onna and gazed over her shoulder at the cub in silence. He frowned at the lavender hair, thinking how completely un-Saiya-jin like it was until his eyes settled on the tail that was wrapped around Bulma’s wrist and his chest swelled with pride. This was his son. Lavender hair or no, this was his cub. Then, the child’s eyes opened and the sight of the blue eyes reminded Vegeta of the child’s mother.

Bulma turned her gaze from the small child whom she had been cooing at to the man that still sat behind her in silence and she smiled at him. “Do you want to hold him?” she asked almost hesitantly in fear he would say no.

But then, he surprised her yet again. He lifted himself from the bed and placed several pillows behind her before he turned to the nurses that were still in the room and commanded, “Leave.” The two nurses blinked in surprise at the small, but powerful command, but complied, leaving the two parents in peace.

Then, Vegeta turned to Bulma and hesitated. He had never held a baby before and he wasn’t sure how to go about this. And knowing he was about to partake in a ceremony that would forever change his life was also unnerving. Sensing his hesitation, Bulma smiled encouragingly and used her free hand to pose his arms in the appropriate way before gently passing the baby to him, making sure to cradle the little one’s head as she placed him in his father’s arms.

Vegeta was stiff as he took his son for the first time and moving around didn’t seem like a safe thing to do with his small and seemingly fragile cub in his arms. He was certainly out of his comfort zone and he knew that he looked it too. But at this moment, he didn’t care how uncomfortable or vulnerable he looked. Because this was an important night and it needed to be done right. Glancing up, he noticed the door was still left open, and he gritted his teeth at having to walk across the room with his cub in his arms to close the door, but he did, before he returned to the bed.

“What I’m about to do only you can witness,” Vegeta began to explain as he met Bulma’s questioning gaze. “On Vegetasei, Saiya-jin women would bond with their offspring shortly before they give birth through the exchange of ki.”

It was rare for Vegeta to open up, especially about anything concerning his home planet. “Did I?”

“Yes,” He said as he shifted the baby in his arms and grew quiet for a moment when the baby’s tail wrapped around his wrist. “About a month ago, you two exchanged ki. His spiked, causing yours to spike as well. That created a link between you two, although you may not feel it, because your ki is weak.”

Bulma frowned. “So you’re saying that his ki joined with my ki?”

Vegeta nodded.

“So, did you two bond like we did?”

He shook his head. “That’s what we’re about to do. And only you can witness it. It’s private and sacred. That’s why I kicked those imbeciles out.”

Bulma nodded and relaxed against the bed. “So how does this work?”

“You’ll see. Now enough questions, I must concentrate,” He instructed almost gently and Bulma sat back and watched as Vegeta placed his hand on top of the baby’s head and began to spur off a series of words in a completely different language. The language itself was beautiful and he spoke it with grace. The way he was gazing down at the baby left Bulma in a sense of awe and wonder. His eyes were clear and almost glowing, and a jumble of emotions was flying across their glassy surface. Then, Vegeta drew a single finger down the baby’s forehead and Bulma realized he was drawing what she thought was a symbol. Soon, his hand began to glow as he continued to run his finger delicately along the baby’s skin, the mark that he had been drawing glowed as well.

Bulma glanced up at the prince to see his own forehead had the exact same v like symbol and then she watched as he closed his eyes, his whole hand hovering over the child’s face, the glow of the symbols brightening to their peak, before the light faded and Vegeta opened his eyes to gaze down at his son and for a moment, Bulma stopped breathing.

The look on the prince’s face was something that would forever be burned within her memory. He looked so vulnerable as he held the child in his tight embrace and his once clear eyes were now glassy and Bulma could’ve sworn that at any minute tears would be shed. She watched as he ran his finger across their son’s forehead one last time and noticed how he swallowed heavily, before he turned to her and reluctantly passed the child back to her.

At that moment, Bulma finally realized that even though she may not have the ability to crack through his hard shell, maybe… just maybe their son could.

_oOo_

_…TBC…_


	17. Chapter 16: Compromise

“I think it’s a fabulous name!”

“Please, onna that is not the name of a warrior and my son is a warrior!”

“He’s just a baby, Vegeta, not a hardened soldier like you!”

“What kind of name is Trunks? My son deserves the name of the Royal family—as is customary!”

Bulma rolled her eyes. They had been arguing about this for the better part of an hour. Not too long after Bulma witnessed the bonding between Vegeta and their son, he allowed her parents to come into the room to meet the new family member before the nurses whisked the child away for his first bath. While the little one was being tended to, Bulma decided this was the time to tell Vegeta the name she had settled on.

And what would you know? He didn’t like it.

“I’ll have you know, Mr. Pain-in-my-Ass that that name is a great name. And it happens to be my father’s name!”

Vegeta growled and glared at the onna from across the room. “The brat’s name will be Vegeta. He will carry on the Royal name and that is that!”

Bulma sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. She was getting nowhere with him and he was not budging. Then, an idea struck her and she glanced up at him with hopeful eyes. “What if his middle name is Vegeta? It’s only fair that he has the name of the two greatest men I know,” she said in an attempt to butter him up.

Vegeta frowned. He wasn’t sure how he felt about his son’s middle name being Vegeta. It should be the first! But then again, knowing the child’s mother, she would name the kid whatever the hell she wanted without giving his opinion or demands a second thought. Finally, the prince sighed and looked away as he muttered in defeat, “Fine, do whatever you want,” all the while missing the beaming expression Bulma threw his way.

Bunny sat next to Bulma’s bed, having witnessed the amusing argument and couldn’t help but to giggle. “Trunks Vegeta Briefs,” She tried it out and smiled. “That has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it, Mr. Vegeta?” She received no response and just shook her head.

Silence ensued between the three for several minutes, until Vegeta pushed away from the wall and announced, “I am going to train, do not disturb me,” and he left the infirmary. It was a little white lie. Having stayed up the last twenty-four hours left Vegeta craving some sleep and all he wanted was several minutes to himself. He still wanted to leave, but now, after his argument with the onna’s crazed mother and the birth of his son, he was conflicted.

Was leaving appropriate right now?

_oOo_

Bulma cooed at her newborn son as she lifted him from the crib. This was the third time he woke up that night and the moment his little cries filled her room through the baby monitor, the young heiress sat up in bed in reaction to the sound before yanking the blankets off her body and bee-lining for the nursery. She walked over to the rocking chair that sat in the corner of the room and took a seat in it, frowning as she rubbed against her now tender breasts. She had yet to get use to breast feeding, and at the rate that her son ate, she was sure she wasn’t going to be breast feeding long.

He had definitely inherited his father’s appetite.

Trunks squirmed in her arms, his face scrunching up and his arms struggling in the confinement of the blanket that was currently wrapped around his form and she began to rock him, softly hushing him before he began to cry again.

“Shhh, I know…” Bulma whispered. “I know you’re sore, love.”

Shortly after Trunks had returned from his first bath, Bulma had requested to have his tail removed. After her experience with Goku, she didn’t want to have to go through it with her son, and decided it was best to have it removed permanently. She knew Vegeta would be against the idea, but it was necessary.

After his tail was removed properly, Trunks was forced to stay in the infirmary for three more days while Bulma was able to leave, though she stayed beside her son the entire time.

Now, she sat in his nursery, attempting to keep her young one calm as she rocked back and forth. He had been only home for about four nights and already, Bulma was finding that her son did not sleep well through the night. His fussing slowed and his eyes grew heavy, and Bulma sighed with relief when she noticed he was falling back to sleep. Once his eyes closed, Bulma relaxed her tense body and yawned. It had been a long several days and she was still unaccustomed to having to awaken several times in the middle of the night to a crying baby, especially one that had just been through surgery.

She continued to rock back and forth, her head resting against the back of the rocking chair, and before she knew it, she was waking up hours later, a blanket thrown over her body and her newborn son now in his crib. She frowned and blinked several times in an attempt to clear her blurred vision before she sat up and pulled the blanket off her body. Bulma rubbed at her eyes and stood, throwing the blanket back on the chair as she made her way over to the crib to gaze down at her still sleeping son. He was wrapped up in her old baby blanket and sleeping soundly, and Bulma couldn’t help but wonder who had come into the nursery in the middle of the night.

After making sure her son was still asleep, she quietly made her way out of the room and down the hallway. Light barely peeked through the windows, indicating it was early morning and once the young scientist made her way to the top of the steps a delicious aroma wafted it’s way to her senses and instantly, her mouth watered.

There was only one person in the whole house who could cook food and make it smell as good as that. With a knew bounce in her step, Bulma descended that stairs and bounded into the kitchen to see her mother flittering back and forth between the stove and the counter where an array of bowls and plates laid out with a variety of food. Her eyes widened at the sight and she smiled a little.

“Mom?” She asked, her eyes still on the delicious food, and she saw her mother turn to face her out of her peripheral. “What’s the occasion?”

Bunny shrugged and smiled brightly at her daughter. “I figured you needed a good hearty breakfast after having to feed little Trunks as much as you have been,” she explained when she turned back to the stove. Bulma watched as her mother lifted the frying pan before turning to a large bowl and placing an enormous amount of scrambled eggs onto it. She then carried that and the platter of pancakes, sausage, bacon, and basket cinnamon buns to the table and Bulma followed, her mouth watering at the aroma of the delicious food.

“Wow, you really outdid yourself,” Bulma complimented as she took a seat. “This looks like it could feed an entire army,” she said with a chuckle. “Where’s Dad?” she asked as she eyed each plate, wondering where she should start first.

“He had to go into work a little earlier than expected, so it’s just us,” her mother said before she bounced back into the kitchen to grab a napkin.

Just then, Vegeta came marching in from his morning training and Bulma rolled her eyes when he took a seat at the head of the table, right next to her. Neither had said a word to each other since Bulma brought Trunks home. She was either entirely too busy caring for their newborn son or he was always locked inside the gravity simulator.

It also didn’t help that when she brought little Trunks home without a tail, Vegeta didn’t approve in the least.

It was to be expected, but he wasn’t there to help sway her decision. He wasn’t there to tell her that he could’ve helped to prevent his son from transforming, that he could teach his son to hone in his powers of the Oozaru transformation and resist the pull of the full moon. How was she supposed to know when he wasn’t there to make the first decision she had to make as a parent?

So when Bulma came walking down the hall cradling their newborn son in her arms without his tail curled around her wrist, Vegeta snapped. To be perfectly honest, Bulma had never seen him so angry over something he swore he didn’t care about (even though she knew he did). His words caused a heavy feeling settle in her chest. She felt guilty that she didn’t send someone to get Vegeta and ask his opinion.

But what’s done was done and she didn’t regret her decision.

So now, they sat together at the kitchen table, next to each other, nearly two feet apart, and neither spoke to one another.

It was tense at the table as they both began to pile their plates with food and the silence seemed to be louder than any noise Bulma had heard. It was driving her nuts as she lifted a fork full of eggs to her mouth and it only became more awkward when her mother returned and took a seat next to them.

Great.

Bulma knew how her mother was. If something felt off between her and Vegeta, her mother would voice it and she prepared herself for the oncoming questions.

Bunny sat down, placing her napkin neatly in her lap as she eyed the two that ate silently across from her. She had never felt such tension before at any of the meals she shared with the pair and now, she felt that if she lifted her butter knife, she could easily slice through the tension. What happened between these two?

She was about to find out.

“Okay,” Bunny said as she eyed the pair back and forth. “What’s going on?”

Bulma shrugged and Vegeta remained silent, preferring to ignore the blonde woman.

“You two aren’t talking… at all!” Bunny stated obviously.

Her daughter cocked a brow. “Mom, we never talk. What’s the big deal?”

“No, you two love to argue and take jabs at each other, but now, you two aren’t even doing that,” she explained before reaching for the bowl of eggs. “You’re avoiding each other, I can tell. What’s going on?”

“Nothing, don’t worry about it,” Bulma said as she pushed her food around on her plate, suddenly losing her appetite.

“I’m going to worry about it! You,” Bunny gestured to her daughter with her fork, “should be glowing, my dear. You just had a baby and whenever I see you, you’re dragging your feet!”

Bulma shrugged again. “You know what it’s like having to rearrange your life around another person. I’m tired, Mom. So, I’m sorry if I’m not jumping out of my skin with happiness…”

“No, sweetie, that’s not it,” her mother stated softly. “I haven’t seen you two in the same room together in days! Why are you avoiding each other? Its like, whenever he comes into a room, you get up and leave, and whenever you come into a room, he immediately leaves. Why? What happened between you two?”

Bulma bit the inside of her cheek as another wave of guilt wafted through her. Maybe now was the time she should apologize to Vegeta… But then, that would mean she would be admitting she was wrong, and she didn’t want it thrown in her face.

She sighed as she sat back in her chair, glancing at Vegeta out of the corner of her eye who had his head down while he ate. She wasn’t even sure if he’d appreciate the apology now… especially if she said it in front of her mother. And she wasn’t sure if he’d even accept it.

Silence ensued at the table for several more minutes while everyone ate, before Bunny stood. “I forgot the salt, I’ll be back in a second,” she said before she sauntered off to the kitchen.

Bulma watched her go, before her eyes landed on the salt shaker next to her and she cocked a brow and chuckled inwardly. Her mother may love to pry, but she also knew when to back off. She shook her head as she sat up and placed her elbows on the edge of the table, clasping her hands together as she watched Vegeta eat.

“I’m sorry…” she whispered to him. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him tilt his head her way. “I should’ve asked you before I had them remove Trunks tail. It’s just…” she trailed off, the memory of Goku nearly killing her when he transformed appearing in her mind. “You need to understand why I did it. The thought of my son losing control and turning into a giant ape, and killing people… it scares me…”

“Onna, I told you. I could’ve helped him control it! I was able to control my transformation!” Vegeta snapped.

“I know. You made that very clear when I brought him home. But, Vegeta…” She gazed at him, pleadingly. “I didn’t know then. And yes, that was my mistake, but I did what I thought was right. I don’t regret having his tail removed.” When she said that, he tensed and glared at her, to which she ignored as she continued. “But I do regret not coming to you about it. He is your son too. We could’ve… I don’t know… worked something out. Talked about it, at least. I shouldn’t have done it without your knowledge. And for that, I’m sorry.”

She waited as he sat there, his gaze leveled on her as he pondered what she had said. After a good minute of silence, Vegeta shrugged and turned back to his meal and Bulma blinked at his nonchalant reaction of the conversation. Hesitantly, she asked, “…That’s it?” When he lifted his head with a raised eye brow at her she explained, “You’re not going to scream at me, tell me you were right, and tell me I should die for my insolence?”

Again, Vegeta shrugged, this time with a small smirk. “Why tell you when you already know?” He turned back to his meal, this time, a bit more relaxed than before and Bulma shook her head at him, feeling both baffled and amused.

Did he just _tease_ her?

Moments later, Bunny returned, empty-handed. She sat down and reached over to grab the salt shaker that was next to Bulma and said with a bright smile, “There it is! I was wondering why I couldn’t find it!” Before she winked at her daughter, shook some salt over her eggs, and began to eat, the tension at the table finally dispersing as the three ate in a comfortable silence.

_oOo_

It was late, and for the first time, Trunks was able to sleep comfortably. Bulma smiled down at her baby, watching as his little chest rose and fell in his deep sleep. He had only woken up once during the night and fortunately it seemed that whatever pain he had been feeling the last week from the surgery was now fading.

Maybe now, he would only wake once or twice instead of nearly four times, and Bulma would be able to get a bit more sleep in. She chuckled at herself. What a wishful thought! Taking the baby monitor, she clipped it to her belt loop before quietly leaving the room. Even though it was late, Bulma couldn’t sleep—much to her chagrin—and instead, she found herself in her lab, working on a few projects that she had put on hold while she was pregnant. Now that she was no longer pregnant, she felt it was completely unnecessary to avoid her lab and threw herself into her work happily.

She sat at her desk, calculating a few formulas and scribbling down some notes before she frowned when she suddenly felt a presence behind her, her heart skipping a beat as panic set in. Alarmed, Bulma turned abruptly in her chair, her legs kicking out to defend herself from the intruder, only to have her legs caught in midair by Vegeta, whom towered over her with a deep frown.

“What a pathetic attempt of defense,” He observed, his frown disappearing and replaced with a smirk.

“Geez, Vegeta!” Bulma screeched as a hand clutched to her chest to steady her rapid heartbeat. “Ever heard of the common courtesy of _not_ sneaking up on people?!”

“No,” he said dryly, his hands still wrapped around her calves, his body positioned between her legs in a very compromising position.

Bulma gulped as her eyes finally traveled down the length of his muscular body to where he currently held her legs around his hips and she swallowed heavily. It had been quite a long time since they were intimate and she was sure that even though they had a son, he was not going to be allowing her in his bed any time soon. Though, Bulma couldn’t help but wonder if he would object to coming to her room for once?

“Did um… Did you um… need something?” She stuttered out as she finally pulled her gaze away from where his hands currently were and met his eyes, which were now sparkling down at her with a mischievous glint in their depths.

Shit. He noticed her staring.

He stood there, his grip on her calves tightening a smidge, before loosening as they slid down to her ankles almost sensually before he let go of her completely and stepped away. Just from her excessive breathing he could tell she was turned on from the position they were in and he couldn’t help but to take a deep breath as the air filled with the aroma of her arousal.

It was sweet and musky, and instantly caused warmth to pool low in his groin and he growled at himself for his immediate response. No. He had to keep himself in check. They were not going there again. That fluke right before she gave birth, where she came back to his bedroom repetitively for nearly four days was just that. A fluke. It would not be repeated, no matter how much he desired her body. Vegeta mentally shook his head as he reminded himself of why he sought her out in the first place and he crossed his arms.

“Yes,” he stated and he cleared his throat as he watched Bulma adjust her position in the chair.

The subject to which had been plaguing his mind for the last several days was weighing him down and he needed to bring it to attention to her. The last time they spoke of it, the brat was born, pulling the choice out of his hands and now that he was able to observe Bulma mother his son from a distance, he was sure now was a good time to do it.

He had wondered, at first, about the words he exchanged with the blonde ditz in the hall way of the infirmary, before he immediately halted any and all thoughts of that blasted woman. It was not her decision and she would not influence it. It wasn’t even Bulma’s decision; however, now that his heir was involved, he felt it was only appropriate to let her know of his plans.

He’d be damned if she kept him from his son when he returned.

“I am leaving,” Vegeta announced through narrowed eyes. He was anticipating an outburst of any kind and was prepared for the fight the onna was surely going to bring.

Yet again, she surprised him by sighing and leaning back in her chair. “I’m assuming for the same amount of time as before?” She asked.

He nodded and she returned his nod with her own. But she couldn’t help but to ask, “What about Trunks?”

Vegeta shook his head. “He is too young for me to train and does not need me here right now. I will go into space and train for the next several months and I will be back before the androids arrive.”

Bulma frowned. “You’re wrong, Vegeta,” she explained gently. “He does need you, more than I do. We both need you here. I’m not trying to convince you to stay, but…” she trailed off when she realized that no matter what she said it wouldn’t change a thing. She glanced away from him as she thought the words she couldn’t bring herself to say.

_I just want him to know his father…_

Silence hung between them as the words dangled on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed them down, knowing that even if they were said, it would be a waste right now. Glancing up at the man that stood before her she realized that even though she and Trunks may need him, that even though the Earth needed him, he didn’t need them right now. But that didn’t deter her from being here when he did need them. And she knew, that time would eventually come. And she would be waiting.

“Okay,” she sighed out. “Under one condition, though.”

Vegeta narrowed his eyes at her, almost distrustfully as he awaited her supposed condition. Why was he humoring her again?

“Let us test run the ship before you leave as a precaution…” Bulma demanded and then added as an afterthought, “And come back… safely.”

The prince cocked a brow. He knew exactly what she meant when she asked him to ‘come back safely’ and she didn’t mean to Earth.

“Technically, that’s two conditions, onna.”

She knew he was partially teasing, but she couldn’t find a bit of humor in her requests as she gazed up at him through glassy eyes and whispered, “Please?”

He stood there, his gaze almost observing and somewhat harsh as he stared her down, before he finally relented when she returned his harsh gaze with a soft pleading one. Just the look alone caused a series of emotions to flutter within him, most completely foreign and absolutely annoying to him, and he growled out, “Fine, I accept,” and he turned and stormed out of her lab, missing the beaming look she threw his way.

_oOo_

He didn’t understand why, but he couldn’t force himself to leave that night. Nor did he leave the very next day. Instead, he threw himself into his training in the simulator as he battled the foreign emotions that dwelled inside him.

It was that damned look she gave him. That pleading, gentle gaze of those cerulean eyes was what did him in.

His training was extra hard as he cranked the gravity up as well as the training bots. He wanted to beat those emotions out of his system until he could no longer feel a thing. He couldn’t help but cringe as Frieza’s voice sprang into his mind, the memory of the tyrant circling him in the throne room fresh in his memory.

_The mission was the same as the rest, except this time, Frieza’s demand was to bring back woman from the planet they were eradicating. Vegeta stood in the throne room, his back ramrod straight, his head held high, and his gaze unblinking as he stared ahead of him while the large lizard circled him. He could feel his master’s piercing gaze as he stood there silently. He knew not to talk, though that never stopped him from acting out and speaking when not spoken too._

_He was a prince, not a servant made to obey another._

_However, this time, Vegeta kept quiet. He was still recovering from the last beating after spitting in Frieza’s face for being ordered to bow to him. He did not want to return to the aedis and this time, he bit his tongue as the beast circled him._

_“You know what to do, then?” Frieza questioned almost skeptically._

_Vegeta’s jaw twitched. Every mission he carried out had been successful, albeit he had done it_ his _way and not his master’s way. It irritated him to no end that his intelligence was always brought into question._

_“Yes, Lord Frieza,” the prince replied shortly._

_“What do you do when they refuse?”_

_“Cause physical pain,” Vegeta answered, his fists tightening at the thought of causing physical pain to the being standing before him._ In due time _, he told himself._

_“Do not break my merchandise, monkey,” Frieza spat as he continued to circle the Saiya-jin. “What will you do if physical pain does not work?”_

_“Cause emotional pain.”_

_“How?”_

_“Threaten the family, target their attachments. If that doesn’t work, start killing them off one at a time and take the women by force.”_

_“Hm,” Frieza hummed approvingly, a twitch of a smirk appearing at the corner of his pink lips. “Always remember that family is everyone’s weakness. Always attack attachments. It will be their downfall,” he explained, his tail thumping against the ground. He turned away from the prince and began walking back to his throne. “Bring me only the young ones. Kill the rest,” he demanded as he took a seat, taking the glass of red liquid that was offered by a gangly, thin woman whom he eyed up and down and licked his lips at. Vegeta swallowed heavily as he watched with distaste as Frieza eye fucked the woman servant and immediately pitied the woman for what she would experience after he left. “I expect my first shipment by the end of the month.”_

_Vegeta nodded before bowing his head and he turned to leave. The moment the large double doors closed was the moment he heard the screaming of the woman, but he ignored it and continued walking._

_It wasn’t his problem to deal with._

Family was a weakness. It had been drilled into his brain from the first day he was forced into Frieza’s army. He did not enjoy these emotions he was experiencing. It was something he had never experienced for himself, yet it was only something he bore witness too. It was the reason he destroyed countless lives. Emotions like this were a weakness that brought on the downfall of countless civilizations by his hand and he enjoyed watching as they all tumbled to ruins.

He refused to become one of them.

_oOo_

Bulma yawned as she proceeded down the hall towards her room. Sleep did not come to her last night and things only got worse when Trunks woke up every other hour. She frowned as she massaged the side of her breast. If this kept up, she’d have to switch to either a breast pump or formula. His constant need to feed was wearing the poor scientist down and the tenderness in her breasts was making her uncomfortable, especially when she tried to sleep. She no longer could sleep on her stomach, which was her favorite position to sleep in.

Yes, it was definitely time to switch.

The moment she entered her room, Bulma immediately tore off her shirt, her bra following seconds later and she sighed with relief. She walked towards her bed, her hands on the buttons of her jeans and she began unbuttoning them, never noticing the pair of admiring eyes on her figure as she undressed. The moment her pants were off, she turned her body half way to throw the jeans towards the hamper that was situated in the corner of her room, only to gasp and squeal in surprise when her eyes met that of Vegeta’s. She caught her pants in midair and held them to her chest to cover her bare breasts.

“What the fuck, Vegeta?! What did I just tell you the other day?!” She screeched at him as she clutched the denim to her bare body in an attempt to cover whatever skin was exposed, though she was doing a poor job of it when a rosy nipple peaked out from between the leggings of the pants.

He cocked a brow as he unashamedly allowed his eyes to roam over her exposed figure and he shrugged. “It’s not my fault you are so unaware of your surroundings,” He smirked. “You should really work on that.”

“I wouldn’t have to work on it if you weren’t constantly sneaking up on me every single day!” She blushed as she watched him watch her and she clutched the pants to her a little tighter. “Could you um… turn around so I can change?”

He frowned and crossed his arms, his back now leaning against the wall. “Why? It’s nothing I haven’t seen before, onna.”

Bulma glared at him. “Just because you and I have slept together doesn’t mean you get the fabulous privilege of ogling my body while I get dressed. Turn around!”

Instead of obliging her, Vegeta pushed himself away from the wall and stalked towards her, causing the blue-haired wench to blink and take a step back. They stood arms length apart as they stared one another down, his gaze no longer on her body as he stated, “I am leaving tonight.”

Bulma’s mouth hung open and her brow furrowed in confusion. “Oh, okay… I was wondering why you haven’t left yet.” She stood there and nearly blushed at the intense stare he was giving her. What was with him? Yes, she was naked, but like he said, it wasn’t anything he hadn’t seen before.

Was there something else on his mind?

Bulma cocked her head to the side as her eyes roamed over his face. He looked tired and she could tell he had several bruises scattered around his face and what seemed to be a black eye forming. The way he was looking at her was almost… uncomfortable. She wasn’t use to the intenseness of his stare, but she held his gaze and could see a flash of emotion in his eyes before it disappeared. The next thing she noticed was his fists clenching and unclenching, his muscles tightening like he was tensing in preparation for a battle, and his jaw twitched ever so slightly.

What the hell was wrong with him?

She opened her mouth to ask just that, before she gasped when his hands shot out to wrap around her waist and he pulled her to him, his lips smashing to her own in a searing kiss that left her breathless. The next thing she knew, the pants she was clutching were flying across the room and she could feel the cool, flat surface of her comforter. Her eyes widened as Vegeta hovered above her and she gasped when he grounded his hips against hers.

This was definitely a surprise. She had certainly not expected something like this to happen between them again.

But just as his hands slid up to cover her breasts, Bulma hissed and pushed at Vegeta’s chest, causing him to frown down at her in question. She sighed and bit her lip. “I’m sorry… I don’t think I can do this…”

Vegeta shook his head. “No, I’ll be gentle, I don’t care,” he breathed out as he bent down and began to trail hot, wet kisses along the plains of her stomach.

“No, Vegeta, you don’t understand!” She pushed at his shoulders, only to groan when he went even lower, his lips teasing the lines of her panties. She couldn’t believe she was denying him, but she just couldn’t do it. “I can’t do this. I’m too sore; I just gave birth nearly two weeks ago. I physically can’t right now…”

Vegeta groaned, his forehead resting on his stomach as he told himself he needed to stop. He certainly didn’t expect to come in here and jump her, but the moment she came into her room and started to strip, he couldn’t get the image of her sweating, panting, naked, legs spread and beneath him out of his mind. But he would never take her against her will.

If she said stop, he would stop.

He sighed, before climbing to his knees and turning to sit on the edge of the bed, his hand thrusting into his hair as he battled the range of emotions that fueled within him. Damn those emotions. They were a weakness that would destroy him, he was sure of it. And it was something he was going to prevent from happening.

Hopefully leaving would solve that problem.

He could feel the bed shift as Bulma sat up behind him and he flinched slightly when he felt her hand rest on his back.

“I’m sorry… I would, if I could…”

He shook his head and she frowned at him, before she got to her knees on the floor before him and she reached for the waist of his spandex shorts. He watched her through hooded eyelids as she began to pull down the material and he immediately stopped her.

Bulma frowned when his hand circled her wrist and she shot him a look of confusion.

"Don’t.”

“But, why? Just because we can’t have sex doesn’t mean we can’t do other things…”

Again, his jaw twitched and he pulled her hands away from his shorts as he shook his head. He might as well say it since we went this far with her.

“Only whores are meant to drop to their knees,” Vegeta stated bluntly before he stood and left her room, leaving Bulma on the floor, blinking after him in shock, her heart skipping a beat as his words hung in the air. Had he just paid her the ultimate compliment?

She sat there and stared at the doorway for several more minutes in disbelief at what he just said and she bit her lip when she came to a sudden realization, tears nearly springing to her eyes at the overwhelming feeling.

Bulma stood, gathered her clothes, and dressed quickly. There was something she needed to say to him and she wanted to do it before he left, even if he didn’t feel the same way, she needed to express it before he disappeared into space. And the thought of him not returning nearly caused her to hyperventilate.

She fished her shirt out from under her dresser and threw it on, nixing the bra and forgetting to button her jeans as she ran out of her room and to the front lawn where they had moved the ship for the test run. But as she ran out the front door, her heart dropped.

The engine was whirring, the door was closed and locked, and the craft was already lifting off the ground, and she watched as Vegeta disappeared into space.

_oOo_

_…TBC…_


	18. Epilogue: Betrayed

Bulma raced up the steps after leaving Trunks with her mother. She scolded herself for forgetting his diaper bag… again. A part of her was screaming at herself that taking him there would be a horrible idea, but she couldn’t help but feel a strange curiosity at what these androids looked like or how they operated and the scientist in her won out over the mother. Plus, she couldn’t help but wonder if Vegeta was there yet or not, and butterflies fluttered in the pits of her stomach at the thought of seeing him again.

It had been nearly six months since she last saw him and the last thing she had heard of him was that he had landed the craft somewhere in the desert from the signal they received several weeks ago. It irked her to no end. She was hoping he would show up on her doorstep wanting to at least see their son, but she knew he wouldn’t. It was a wishful thought.

The first few weeks after he left had been unnaturally rough for Bulma. She found she missed his irritating presence and ever since she realized she had fallen hard for the Prince didn’t help the matter at all. He was constantly in her thoughts, distracting her from her work, and causing her to daze in and out while she was in the lab. At night, she found herself crying, knowing that she couldn’t run down the hall and slip into his bed and curl up against his hard, tense body like she wanted to. Yet, she always found herself in that bed anyway, curled up underneath the thin blanket he always used, her face buried in his pillow as his faint scent calmed her temporarily.

His abrupt departure shattered her heart and she was left to clean it up.

But she could only blame herself for falling for him, she told herself constantly.

Walking into the nursery, Bulma leaned down and grabbed the brown and blue diaper bag that sat wedged between the changing table and the rocking chair before she booked it out of the room, down the hall and steps to where her mother was currently standing over Trunks, watching him with a smile as he put various blocks in various holes. Bulma approached her from behind, sharing her smile as she too watching her son attempt to fit a triangle into a circle, and she chuckled and shook her head.

She knew her son was smarter than that and she couldn’t help but to admire his determination at trying to force the triangle to fit in the small circular hole. She had bought him this particular toy when he was two months old and he immediately took a liking to it. It didn’t take long for him to catch on to what shape fit where and soon, he was picking up the blocks and fitting them in the right holes without his mother’s help.

He was his mother’s son.

“Alright,” Bulma said as she took a deep breath to calm her heavy breathing. “You ready baby?”

Trunks blinked up at his mother and smiled adorably, before lifting his tiny arms in a silent plea to be held.

“Honey…” Bunny began almost hesitantly as she watched her daughter bend over to pick up Trunks. “I don’t think this is a good idea. You two could get hurt… you shouldn’t be taking him.”

“Please, Mom,” Bulma shrugged off her mother’s warning as she sat Trunks down on her lap and began putting his small shoes and socks on him. “We’re only going for a few minutes to get a glimpse of these metal heads and then we’ll be back before dinner! Right?” She asked her son with an enthusiastic voice and he laughed and clapped his hands.

“Okay, but why are you taking Trunks then?” Bunny pressed, her arms crossed as she stared at her daughter disapprovingly. “Please tell me you’re not taking him for the reason I think you’re taking him.”

“And what if I am?” Bulma snapped. “He has a right to know who his father is!”

“Bulma, honestly!” Bunny sighed. “You can’t wait until this is all over before you go gallivanting around trying to find Vegeta?”

Bulma’s jaw clenched as she finished tying Trunks shoe, albeit a bit tighter than normal, causing Trunks to frown and point at his laces. “No, Mama!” He exclaimed.

The young scientist sat her son next to her on the loveseat before she stood and grabbed his small knit hat. “We are not talking about this, mother,” she bit out as she fit the hat over Trunks head and pulled his hands away from his laces when he tried untying them. “No baby, you need these on!”

Bunny’s frown deepened and when Bulma lifted Trunks into her arms, she stepped in front of her daughter and exclaimed, “Bulma Briefs, you need to start being a mother and stop chasing around boys all the time! You’re putting your son’s life in danger!”

Bulma glared at her mother. “Boy?” She asked calmly. “I don’t remember Vegeta being a _boy_. He is Trunks father not some random _boy_ I’m chasing after!” She stepped around her mother, grabbing the diaper bag and tossing it over her shoulder. “If it were you and dad, you’d do the same thing…” She stopped by the front door and glanced at her mother coldly over her shoulder. “And speaking from one mother to another, don’t call my parenting into question again.”

“But, Bulma I wasn’t—” Bunny winced when the front door slammed closed, her daughter having walked out. Moments later, she could hear the hoverjet starting up and she knew that no matter what she did, her daughter’s mind wouldn’t be changed.

Bulma sighed as soon as they were a good distance away from Capsule Corp and she glanced back at Trunks whose eyes were wide as he watched the clouds fly by and several birds swoop in near the window and she smiled. She wasn’t making a bad decision, was she? She wasn’t a horrible mother for wanting Trunks to know his father… was she?

No, she thought. She wasn’t a horrible mother. It was only right for her son to know who his father was. And she’d be damned if he grew up never knowing him. Feeling confident, Bulma returned her attention back to the front window as she drove them to their destination, pushing her mother’s words to the furthest part of her mind.

If she had known how the day would turn out, she would’ve agreed with her mother and just stayed home…

_oOo_

Betrayal. That’s all she could feel was betrayal. She stood over her son’s crib, the memory replaying over and over in her head. Hadn’t he promised her? Hadn’t he given her his word as a prince? Did it mean nothing to him?

One minute, she was flying over the battlefield, her eyes on Dr. Gero below and the next minute, her hovercraft was sent flying out of control from his blast. She didn’t even remember being pulled from the falling jet, or even making it to the ground safely. But when she turned to find her baby boy in the arms of someone else other than Vegeta, her heart sunk into the pits of her stomach. She had turned to see Vegeta floating between two cliffs, his eyes scanning the ground, his back to her, and she could feel tears prick her eyes.

He didn’t even raise a hand to save her.

_“I can promise that as long as I’m alive… you and our son will be safe.”_

The moment those words sprang into her head, tears spilled down her cheeks and she turned away from her sons crib, putting a hand over her mouth to stifle her sob. She glanced back over at Trunks, thinking how stupid she was for taking her little boy to something as dangerous as a battle just for her own curiosity. She was so ashamed that when she came home, she completely flew past her mother, bounded up the stairs and closed the door to the nursery.

She couldn’t face the disappointed look she would get.

But it didn’t stop her mother from walking into the nursery after Bulma took a seat in the rocking chair, her legs now too weak to keep her upright as she continued to cry silently. Bunny took one look at her daughter, saw her bloodshot eyes and tear-stained face, and any words she had prepared to say died the moment she laid her eyes on the weeping figure in the corner of the room.

Instead, she walked over to her and enfolded her into her warm and comforting embrace, silently telling her that everything was going to be okay.

_oOo_

_The End_

_&_

_To Be Continued in Book II: Unpredictable_


End file.
